THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


jS^> 


Heroes  of  History, 


I. 

Voyages  and  Adventures  of  Vasco 
DA  Gama. 

II. 

PIZARRO: 
HIS  ADVENTURES  AND  CONQUESTS. 

III. 

MAG  ELLA  Ny 

(In  Press.) 
Others  in  preparation. 


Lee  and  ShePARD,  Publishers^ 

BOSTON. 


Young  Folks-  Heroes  of  History^ 


MAGELLAN, 


FIRST  VOYAGE   ROUND  THE  WORLD. 


GEORGE    M.    TOWLE, 

Author  of  "  Vasco  da  Gama,"  "  Pizarro,"  etc. 


— {}-- 


BOSTON: 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS, 

NEW  YORK : 

C.  T.  DILLINGHAM. 

i88a 


Copyright,  1879, 

By  lee  &  SHEPARD. 

All  Rights  Reserved^ 


PREFACE 


-C<50- 


AGELLAN  performed  a  voyage  far  more  dif- 
ficult, perilous,  and  uncertain  than  that  of 
'  '  Vasco  da  Gama ;  and  as  an  explorer  of  the 

ocean,  he  was  not  less  persistent  and  dauntless.  As 
Vasco  found  the  water-way  to  Asia  around  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  so  Magellan,  a  little  more  than  twenty 
years  after,  discovered  the  route  to  the  same  myste- 
rious continent,  by  sailing  westward  instead  of  east- 
ward, and  by  passing  through  the  stormy  straits,  at  the 
extreme  southern  point  of  the  South  American  Conti- 
nent, which  still  perpetuate  his  name  and  renown. 

He  crossed  not  only  the  Atlantic,  but  the  Pacific 
also,  and  bestowed  its  gentle  name  upon  the  latter 
ocean  ;  and  one  of  his  ships  was  the  first  to  sail  com- 
pletely around  the  globe,  though  Magellan  did  not  him- 
self live  to  assist  in  achieving  this  great  triumph  of 
navigation. 

iii 


iiA*>^  £>rM^fcr^ 


IV  PREFACE. 

Besides  encountering  the  many  perils  of  the  sea,  the 
harrowing  hardships  of  famine,  the  terrible  scourges 
of  disease,  and  threatened  destruction  by  conspiracy 
and  revolt,  it  was  Magellan's  fate  to  engage  in  fierce 
conflicts  with  savage  tribes,  and  to  meet  with  treachery 
at  their  hands,  as  well  as  to  receive  from  them  honest 
welcome  and  bounteous  hospitality.  No  voyage,  in- 
deed, could  be  imagined,  into  which  every  feature  of 
romance  and  adventure,  of  narrow  escape  and  brilliant 
achievement,  could  be  more  crowded,  than  was  that 
of  Magellan  from  the  port  of  Cadiz  to  the  island  clus- 
ters of  Australasia. 

Magellan's  own  character  is  well  fitted  to  call  forth 
the  young  reader's  admiration.  It  was  his  ambition, 
not  to  enter  upon  a  career  of  blood-shed  and  conquest, 
nor,  mainly,  to  acquire  wealth,  honors,  or  power  for 
himself ;  but  to  achieve  for  the  civilized  world  the  vast 
benefits  which  he  knew  would  follow  the  discovery  of 
a  route  around  the  American  Continent,  and  to  confer 
upon  heathen  barbarians  the  blessings  of  what  he  de- 
voutly believed  to  be  the  true  faith. 

He  was  generous  and  noble  in  disposition  ;  never 
wantonly  cruel ;  indulgent  to  and  beloved  by  those 
whom  he  commanded  ;  brave  as  a  lion,  and  indomit- 
able in  perseverance  and  tenacity  of  purpose ;  undis- 
mayed by  any  obstacle,  however  formidable  ;  and  reso- 


PREFACE.  V 

lute  in  subduing  men  and  circumstances  to  the  end  he 
had  in  view  ;  easily  angered,  but  brief  in  his  anger ; 
humane,  considerate,  and  large-hearted. 

The  story  of  his  famous  expedition  comprises  one 
of  the  most  important  as  well  as  thrilling  portions  of 
the  world's  history  ;  and  can  scarcely  fail  to  interest 
as  well  as  inform  those  who  peruse  it. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I.  PACK 

Magellan  goes  to  Court i 

CHAPTER  n, 
Magellan  at  the  Wars i6 

CHAPTER  HI. 
Magellan  in  Spain 3a 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Preparations  for  the  Voyage 47 

CHAPTER  V. 
Magellan  Crosses  the  Atlantic 63 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Mutiny 78 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Adventures  with  the  Giants .93 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
Magellan  Discovers  the  Straits  .       .       .       •       •       .116 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Crossing  the  Pacific 124 

CHAPTER  X. 

Magellan  among  the  Malays X43 

vii 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XL 
Adventures  at  Sebu •       •       •        .159 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Barbarians  Converted     .       .       .       ,       •       .       .172 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
A  Hero's  Death 192 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  King's  Treachery 208 


CHAPTER  XV. 
Adventures  at  Borneo •       .       .    214 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Discovery  of  the  Spice  Islands •    «^ 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Sailing  towards  Home 255 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
The  "Victoria"  reaches  Spain   .•••••   369 


MAGELLAN; 

OR,  THE  FIRST  VOYAGE  ROUND  THE  WORLU 


-C<?3- 


CHAPTEE  I. 

MAGELLAN  GOES  TO  COURT. 

|EWCCi|OT  far  from  a  quaint,  picturesque  old  town 
K^^K]  in  northern  Portugal,  called  Villa  Real, 
there  lived,  about  the  year  1500,  a  noble^ 
man  named  Magellan.  Although  an  "  hidalgo,'* 
(nobleman)  and  descended  from  a  proud  and  an- 
cient family,  Magellan  was  not  rich  ;  but  kept  up 
such  state  and  show  as  he  could  afford,  in  the 
home  of  his  ancestors,  which  was  a  curious-look- 
ing edifice,  with  a  tower,  massive  walls,  and  bat- 
tlements, and  which  became,  in  troublous  times, 
a  fortress,  as  well  as  a  residence. 

Here    Magellan  was   wont   to   entertain   th^ 


2  MAGELLAN. 

neighboring  hidalgos,  to  receive  such  distingished 
captains,  nobles,  or  voyagers  as  wandered  so  far 
away  from  the  capital,  and  to  lord  it  over  the 
peasants  who  tilled  the  fields  and  vineyards  which 
stretched  over  the  slopes  of  the  not  distant 
mountains,  and  along  the  fertile  banks  of  the 
pretty  stream  that  flowed  between  his  estate  and 
the  town. 

The  pride  of  Magellan's  heart  was  his  son, 
Fernan ;  who,  at  the  period  that  our  story  opens, 
was  a  vigorous  young  man  of  twenty.  It  was 
the  custom  of  those  days,  as  now,  for  the  sons  of 
European  nobles  to  be  brought  up,  not  to  any 
useful  or  hard-working  occupation,  but  in  ease 
and  luxury;  to  be  treated  by  their  inferiors, 
even  in  earliest  childhood,  with  ceremonious  re- 
spect ;  and  to  devote  themselves  freely  to  vigor- 
ous sports,  and  such  pleasures  as  their  neighbor- 
hood or  their  opportunities  afforded.  There  were 
but  two  callings  which  these  young  patricians 
usually  thought  worthy  of  their  adoption.  They 
were  not  too  proud  to  become  soldiers  ;  and  they 
were  often  glad  to  enter  upon  a  political  career,  as 
courtiers  or  statesmen.  At  the  time  that  Ma- 
gellan lived,  indeed,  a  third  calling  was  espoused 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  3 

by  many  young  men  of  high  birth ;  that  of  fol- 
lowing the  sea  as  voyagers  and  discoverers.  But 
this  pursuit  was  nearly  akin  to  that  of  a  soldier. 
The  voyager  commanded  his  ships  upon  the 
ocean ;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  landed  on  a  strange 
shore,  he  buckled  on  his  armor,  donned  his  hel- 
met, drew  his  sword,  and  led  his  men  against  the 
inhabitants. 

Although  the  elder  Magellan  was  not  rich, 
young  Fernan  had  been  reared  amid  surround- 
ings of  comfort,  petted  and  humored  by  his  fond 
father  and  equally  doting  mother,  waited  upon 
obsequiously  by  the  retainers  of  the  house, 
greeted  with  humble  respect  by  the  peasants 
and  village-folk  wherever  he  made  his  appear- 
an"ce,  and  enjoying,  to  the  full,  the  rough  pleas- 
ures which  the  wild  country  round  afforded. 

The  broad  valley  where  he  dwelt  was  almost 
surrounded  by  lofty  and  savage  mountains, 
clothed  with  vast,  luxuriant  forests ;  while  the 
slopes  that  descended  from  it  to  the  meadows 
along  the  river  bank,  were  covered  by  thickly 
clustering  vineyards,  bearing  the  luscious  purple 
grapes  from  which  the  famous  port  wine  is  made. 

Perhaps  the  chief  pastime  of  Fernan's  boyhood 


MAGELLAN. 


and  youth  was  the  hunt.  Among  the  mountains 
roamed  the  wild  boar ;  the  forests  were,  many  of 
them,  peopled  with  deer ;  while  of  smaller  game 
there  was  an  abundance ;  so  that  the  sportsman 
need  never  despair  of  returning  home  with  well- 
stocked  game-bag,  and  often  found  his  burden — 
a  deer  or  a  boar — too  heavy  to  be  carried  without 
the  aid  of  servants.  It  was  Fernan's  delight  to 
follow  his  hounds,  with  a  merry  party  of  stalwart 
youths  like  himself,  through  the  echoing  moun- 
tain forests,  and  up  the  rugged  banks  of  the  spark- 
ling river ;  to  ride  frantically  in  pursuit  of  the 
wild  game,  and  come  to  close  quarters  with  the 
fleet  stags  and  tusk-gnashing  boars ;  and  to  carry 
home  in  triumph  the  trophies  of  his  day's  sport. 
Sometimes  he  encountered  even  more  formida- 
ble foes  than  these ;  for  the  "  Traz  os  Montes," 
near  his  home,  were  then  infested  by  savage 
bands  of  brigands,  who  sought  no  richer  prizes 
than  the  noble  youths  who  ventured,  in  pursuit 
of  game,  too  near  their  lairs.  Fernan  was  as 
brave  as  a  lion,  and  liked  nothing  better  than  a 
battle  with  the  murderous  robbers  who  now  and 
then  attacked  him  and  his  comrades.  He  had 
early  learned  the  use  of  arms ;  and  was  a  good 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  5 

swordsman,  and  a  skilful  shot.  More  than  once 
he  was  brought  in  wounded  from  his  struggles 
with  the  bandits ;  but  he  made  light  of  his  in- 
juries, and  had  no  sooner  recovered  than  he 
plunged  into  the  mountain  wilds  as  fearlessly  as 
before. 

Not  very  many  miles  from  the  valley  in  which 
he  dwelt,  was  Oporto,  next  to  Lisbon  the  most 
important  city  in  Portugal.  It  is  from  this  city 
that  "  port"  wine  takes  its  name.  Oporto  is  situ- 
ated on  the  Atlantic,  at  the  mouth  of  a  wide 
river.  It  is  a  quaint  old  place,  with  narrow,  zig- 
zag streets,  many  ancient,  lofty  houses,  adorned 
in  the  showy  fashion  of  six  or  seven  centuries 
ago,  and  possessing  many  noble  churches  and 
other  public  buildings.  Its  harbor  is  spacious, 
and  to  this  day  is  picturesque  with  the  ships  of 
many  nations. 

In  Fernan's  time.  Oporto  was  even  a  busier 
place  than  it  now  is.  It  was  the  resort  of  the 
nobility  of  all  the  country  round,  and  its  gaieties 
and  dissipations  were  only  less  brilliant  than 
those  of  Lisbon  itself.  The  round  of  social 
pleasures  was  kept  up  there  with  much  state  and 
ceremony;  while  its   trade,  principally  in  wine, 


O  MAGELLAN. 

made  the  quays,  and  the  region  near  them,  very 
crowded  and  busy. 

It  was  the  custom  of  Fernan*s  father  to  spend, 
with  his  family,  a  portion  of  each  year  at 
Oporto;  and  there  the  young  man  had  many  a 
taste  of  the  pleasures  of  city  life.  As  he  grew 
older,  he  became  more  and  more  fond  of  visiting 
the  quays,  and  of  taking  sails  in  the  harbor.  He 
made  the  acquaintance  of  captains  and  sailors, 
and  delighted  to  go  on  board  the  caravels  and 
study  their  arrangements  and  rigging,  and  talk 
with  the  men  about  their  adventures  on  the  great 
deep.  He  would  sit  for  hours  in  some  dark 
cabin,  and  listen  breathlessly  to  the  tales  of 
perilous  voyages,  of  disastrous  shipwrecks  on 
strange  coasts,  and  of  desperate  fights  with 
savages.  He  heard  with  beating  heart  about 
the  wonderful  discoveries  which  were  then  being 
constantly  made  ;  about  the  exploits  of  Columbus, 
the  heroic  discovery  of  the  way  to  India  by  his 
own  countryman,  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  the  quick 
succeeding  expeditions  that  now  sailed  between 
the  old  and  the  new  world. 

Of  a  bold,  fearless,  adventurous  spirit,  Fernan 
was  soon  seized  with  an  intense  passion  for  the 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  / 

sea.  As  he  stood  on  the  bustling  quays  of 
Oporto,  and  looked  far  out  where  rolled  the 
mighty  waves  ot  the  Atlantic,  he  wished  that  he, 
too,  was  a  captain,  and  longed  to  try  his  fortune 
in  strange  lands.  The  pastimes  of  his  country 
home  now  seemed  to  him  dull  and  paltry ;  he 
said  to  himself  that  he  was  wasting  his  life,and  that, 
instead  of  hunting  boars  and  fighting  brigands, 
he  might  be  discovering  new  lands  and  winning 
renown  like  that  of  Columbus  and  da  Gama. 
Even  the  exciting  pleasures  of  the  city — the 
bull-fights  and  masquerades,  the  tournaments  and 
routs,  began  to  pall  upon  him,  and  he  pined  to 
go  out  into  the  world,  and  see  more  of  men  and 
countries. 

One  day,  when  he  had  been  thinking  more 
seriously  than  usual  about  his  present  life,  and 
yearning  to  change  it  for  a  more  stirring  one,  he 
sought  his  father  in  the  hall  of  the  house,  where 
the  bluff  old  noble  sat,  warming  his  heels  before 
a  blazing  log-fire. 

As  he  approached,  Magellan  observed  that  the 
ypung  man's  brows  were  knit,  and  that  his  face 
wore  a  serious  and  thoughtful  expression. 

"What    troubles  you,    Fernan?"    asked    the 


8  MAGELLAN. 

hidalgo.  **  For  some  time  you  have  seemed  dis^ 
traught,  as  if  something  had  happened  to  per, 
plex  you.  Sit  here  by  me,  son,  and  open  your 
heart  to  me." 

Fernan  did  as  he  was  bidden,  and  after  a  mo« 
ment,  said  :  "  It  is  true,  my  father,  that  I  am  not 
content.  I  no  longer  enjoy  those  pastimes  and 
pleasures  that  were  once  my  delight.  I  thirst 
for  adventure,  for  a  stirring  life  by  land  and  sea. 
You  see,  sir,  I  am  now  a  man,  I  would  go  forth 
into  the  world,  and  try  my  fortune." 

"  And  that  shall  you,  if  you  please  !"  said  the 
old  man.  "  To  be  sure,  Traz  os  Montes  is  but  a 
dull  place  for  one  so  brave  and  ambitious  as  you  ; 
and  even  Oporto  is  but  a  narrow  field  for  your 
aspirations.  You  shall  go  to  court,  my  lad,  and 
seek  the  favor  of  our  good  King  Manuel.  It  will 
be  ill  luck  if  he  does  not  speedily  find  some  ex- 
ploit for  you  ;  I  warrant  me,  a  stalwart  youth  like 
you  will  find  merit  in  his  royal  eyes." 

Fernan  sprang  joyfully  to  his  feet,  and  seized 
and  kissed  his  father's  hand.  "  You  fill  me  with 
happiness,  my  father !  "  he  exclaimed.  *'  Nothing 
do  I  desire  so  much  as  to  go  to  Lisbon,  and  see 
the  splendors  of  the  court,  and  take  service  with 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  9 

the  king !  Think  you,  sir,  that  he  will  receive 
me  in  his  household?  And  may  it  be,  that  I 
shall  be  sent  ere  long,  on  some  glorious  expedi- 
tion of  conquest  and  discovery?  I  long  to  ride 
the  stormy  billows,  to  match  my  prowess  with 
savage  hosts,  to  win  a  name  and  power!  When 
may  I  go — shall  it  be  soon,  my  lord  ?  " 

**  In  what  haste  are  you,  Fernan,  to  leave  home 
and  kindred !"  replied  the  old  man,  sorrowfully. 
"  But  you  have  an  impetuous  soul,  and  mayhap 
nothing  will  content  you  but  to  go  forth  into  the 
world.  King  Manuel  knows  me,  and  knows  that 
he  hath  no  more  sturdy  or  loyal  subject.  I  doubt 
not,  he  will  receive  you  on  my  petition.  Go,  then; 
prepare  with  such  haste  as  you  please  ;  and  de- 
part for  Lisbon  as  soon  as  you  are  ready." 

It  was  with  light,  brisk  step  that  Fernan,  after 
thanking  his  father  with  trembling  voice  for  his 
goodness,  left  the  hall,  and  repaired  to  his  own 
room,  in  an  upper  story  of  the  house.  A  glow 
of  high  spirits  already  suffused  his  face,  but  just 
now  so  long-drawn  with  discontent ;  and  as  he 
paced  up  and  down  the  floor,  with  a  multitude 
of  feverishly  happy  thoughts  rushing  through 
his  brain,  his  eyes  kindled,  and  his  fists  clenched 


10  ^  MAGELLAN. 

in  his  excitement.  Now  and  then  he  broke  out 
into  some  warlike  ballad,  or  some  sailor's  song, 
that  he  had  heard  in  the  barracks,  or  on  the  car- 
avels at  Oporto  ;  and  then,  becoming  calmer,  he 
would  look  around  the  room,  to  see  what  he 
could  carry  with  him  to  the  royal  court. 

There  were  many  preparations  to  make  before 
he  could  set  out  for  Lisbon.     In  order    to  ap- 
pear properly  at  court,  a  young  nobleman  must 
have  several  suits  of  rich  attire.     He  must  have 
tunics  and  trousers  of  velvet  and  silk,  trimmed 
with  gold  and  silver  lace  ;  he  must  have  slashed 
caps,  with  high-nodding  plumes;  he   must  have 
a  full  suit  of   glistening  armor,  helmet,  cuirass, 
buckler,  and  all ;  he  must  have  an  ample  supply 
of  silk  stockings,  of  velvet  shoes  and  slippers, 
and  long  top-boots ;  he  must  wear  a  sword,  with 
chased  and  jewelled  hilt  and  scabbard  ;  he  must 
be  supplied  with  arquebuses   and  daggers  and 
belts ;  and,  not  least,  he  must  be  provided  with 
at   least  one  high-mettled,  thorough-bred  steed, 
on  which  to  prance  and  gallop  at  the  state  shows 
and    processions.     In   providing    himself    with 
these  things,  Fernan  now  busied  himself  absorb- 
ingly during  his  waking  hours.     Tailors  stitched 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  II 

away  unceasing'ly  on  his  fine  new  clothes ;  the 
hidalgo  sent  to  a  distance,  and  purchased  a  noble, 
milk-white  horse,  for  there  were  none  in  his 
stables  fit  for  so  momentous  a  use  ;  and  ere  many 
weeks  Fernan  found  himself  splendidly  equipped 
for  his  journey  to  Lisbon. 

One  bright  morning,  there  was  a  lively  bustle 
in  the  courtyard  of  his  father's  mansion  at  Villa 
Real.  The  hidalgo  himself,  richly  dressed,  and 
surrounded  by  his  wife,  sons  and  daughters,  stood 
on  the  broad  steps  that  led  from  the  door  to  the 
paved  court,  while  the  servants  were  gathered  in 
groups  below.  Presently  Fernan's  white  horse, 
with  gay  trappings,  was  brought  out ;  and  then 
Fernan  himself  appeared,  very  fine,  in  a  bran-new 
suit,  with  plumed  cap,  and  a  sword  hanging  at 
his  side.  With  him  were  to  go  attendants,  who 
soon  cantered  in  the  courtyard  on  their  steeds. 

The  moment  of  parting  came ;  and  Fernan 
advancing  to  his  parents,  knelt  to  receive  their 
blessing,  and  was  fondly  folded  in  their  arms. 
He  embraced  in  turn  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
waved  an  adieu  to  the  retainers  of  the  household 
who  gathered  to  see  him  off ;  and,  springing 
lightly    upon   his  horse's   back,  rode  forth,  fol- 


12  MAGELLAN. 

lowed  by  his  attendants,  on  his  way  to  Lisbon. 

It  took  several  days  to  traverse  the  highways 
that  led  from  Villa  Real  to  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom.  Fernan's  journey  was,  however, 
through  a  smiling  and  fruitful  country,  where 
the  vineyards  grew  luxuriantly,  and  were  just  now 
laden  with  luscious  ripe  grapes  of  many  colors. 
At  night, he  put  up  at  a  wayside  inn,where  he  occu- 
pied the  best  room  the  house  afforded,  and  regaled 
himself  right  merrily  on  the  ragouts  and  omelets 
which  were  served  up  to  him  smoking  hot,  with 
his  wine  and  biscuits.  Everywhere  he  was  re- 
ceived with  the  honor  due  to  his  rank  and  his 
destined  position  at  court ;  nor  did  any  accident 
befall  him  until,  on  an  Autumn  afternoon,  his 
eyes  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  Lisbon  in 
the  distance. 

On  reaching  the  capital,  and  after  taking  quar- 
ters at  a  hotel  which  stood  not  far  from  the  royal 
palace,  Fernan  lost  no  time  in  seeking  an  audi- 
ence of  King  Manuel.  This  was  easy  enough  to 
obtain.  Among  the  young  courtiers,  Fernan 
found  several  old  friends  from  his  own  part  of  the 
country;  and  they  found  no  difficulty  in  intro- 
ducing him  to  the  royal  presence. 


MAGELLAN    GOES   TO    COURT.  I3 

King  Manuel  was  still  youthful,  and  carried  him- 
self  with  truly  royal  grace  and  dignity.  His  face 
was  rather  a  stern  one,  but  bore  upon  it  the  im- 
press of  a  grave  and  thoughtful,  rather  than  an 
ill-natured  character.  Ambitious,  and  eager  to 
advance  the  glory  and  power  of  his  realm,  and  to 
outvie  its  rival,  Spain,  in  the  conquest  and  do- 
minion of  distant  lands,  he  was  an  ardent  stu- 
dent, and  employed  his  time  rather  in  serious 
affairs  of  state  than  in  the  frivolous  gaieties  of 
court  life. 

The  monarch  was  seated  in  the  great  hall  of 
his  palace,  surrounded  by  his  courtiers  and  offi- 
cers, when  Fernan,  arrayed  in  his  most  brilliant 
suit,  was  ushered  into  his  presence. 

"  The  son  of  the  hidalgo  Magellan  is  right  wel- 
come," said  King  Manuel,  as  Fernan  bowed  low 
before  him ;  "  and  it  will  please  me  to  give  him 
a  place  in  my  household."  With  that,  the  king 
went  on  to  inform  Fernan  that  his  duty  would 
be  to  attend  the  royal  person,  that  he  should 
have  a  certain  stipend  every  month  with  which 
to  maintain  himself,  and  that  he  should  be  pro- 
vided with  an  apartment  in  the  palace. 

In   no   long  time,  Fernan  had  become  com- 


14  MAGELLAN. 

pletely  accustomed  to  court  life.  The  fine 
dresses,  the  brilliant  displays,  the  balls  and  par- 
ties,  the  great  dinners  and  imposing  ceremonies, 
for  awhile  amused  and  distracted  him.  He  en- 
joyed the  city,  with  its  busy  streets,  its  crowded 
roadstead,  its  fine  buildings,  its  gay  life ;  and  not 
less,  the  companionship  of  many  young  men  of 
his  own  rank  and  age,  with  whom  he  passed  many 
a  jolly  and  boisterous  hour. 

But  his  ambition  was  by  no  means  satisfied 
by  these  pastimes  and  pleasures.  The  court  to 
him  was  only  the  high  road  to  a  more  stirring 
and  manly  career.  As  he  saw  the  fleets  of  cara- 
vels sail  out  of  the  harbor,  on  their  way  to  newly 
found  lands  in  Africa,  Asia,  and  America,  he 
longed,  too,  to  traverse  the  seas,  and  seek  the 
glories  of  combat,  and  the  still  nobler  glories  of 
discovery.  Impatiently  he  watched  the  prepara- 
tions of  his  more  lucky  companions,  who  were 
chosen  to  take  part  in  these  expeditions;  he 
chafed  under  the  necessity  by  which,  while  they 
went  forth  in  search  of  adventures,  he  was  still 
bound  by  his  service  to  the  king. 

Meanwhile,  he  grew  in  the  royal  favor.     King 
Manuel,  perceiving  him  to  be  more  aspiring  and 


MAGELLAN    GOES    TO    COURT.  1 5 

more  serious  than  many  of  his  fellow-courtiers, 
kept  him  about  his  own  person,  and  often  engaged 
in  conversation  with  him.  Fernan  attracted  the 
king's  good  will  by  the  enthusiasm  with  which 
he  talked  of  the  discoveries  which  had  been  made 
by  the  Portuguese  voyagers;  and  in  his  own 
mind,  the  king  soon  marked  him  out  as  one 
likely  in  the  not  distant  future,  to  be  of  imports 
ant  service  to  the  state.  Had  Don  Manuel  con- 
tinued to  esteem  Fernan  so  highly,  he  would 
have  added  one  more  bright  jewel  to  his  crown, 
in  the  possession  of  the  famous  straits,  the  dis- 
covery of  which  is  to  be  described  in  the  follow- 
ing pages  ;  but,  unfortunately  for  Portugal,  in  the 
course  of  time  he  took  a  dislike  to  the  ambitious 
young  man,  and  Spain,  instead  of  Portugal,  reaped 
the  benefit  of  his  rare  genius. 


l6  MAGELLAN^ 


CHAPTER   II. 

MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS. 

ERN  AN  had  not  been  long  at  court,  when 
an  event  occurred  which  threw  Lisbon 
into  excitement,  and  which  was  destined 
to  turn  the  current  of  Fernan's  future  life.  This 
was  the  return  of  the  famous  discoverer.  Vasco 
da  Gama,  from  his  second  voyage  to  India. 

The  victories  which  da  Gama  had  gained,  his 
successful  voyages  to  and  from  India,  the  splen- 
did reception  with  which  he  was  welcomed  home, 
the  honors  of  nobility  and  fortune  that  were 
showered  upon  him,  the  praises  of  him  that  rang 
through  Portugal,  all  excited  Fernan's  ambition, 
and  stimulated  anew  his  longing  to  enter  upon  a 
career  of  adventure.  In  no  long  time  he  made 
Vasco  da  Gama's  acquaintance,  and  was  soon  ad- 
mitted to  his  intimacy;  and  many  an  hour  did  the 
young  man  spend  at  da  Gama's  house,  listening 


MAGELLAN     AT    THE    WARS,  1/ 

to  the  soul-stirring  tales  of  his  exploits  by  sea 
and  land.  Da  Gama  told  him  of  the  marvellous 
riches  of  India;  of  the  customs  of  the  people, 
and  the  struggles  in  which  they  had  engaged 
with  the  Portuguese ;  and  in  such  glowing  colors 
described  the  romance  of  that  distant  land,  the 
perils  which  there  awaited  the  Portuguese  warriors, 
and  the  glories  which  they  might  achieve,  that 
Fernan  burned  to  take  part  in  its  further  con- 
quest. 

There  was  then  at  the  Portuguese  court,  a 
brave  and  enterprising  captain,  named  Francisco 
D'Almeyda.  He  had  won  renown  at  the  famous 
seige  of  Granada,  and  in  fighting  the  Moors  in 
Africa ;  and  he  was  descended  from  one  of  the 
noblest  families  of  Portugal.  King  Manuel  had 
no  more  courageous  or  courtly  subject. 

Some  time  after  Vasco  da  Gama's  return, 
D'Almeyda  was  chosen  as  the  first  viceroy,  or 
governor  of  India.  So  much  loved  and  trusted 
was  he,  that  no  sooner  was  his  approaching  de- 
parture for  the  East  announced,  than  a  crowd 
of  seekers  after  adventure,  of  all  ranks  and  con- 
ditions, flocked  to  him  and  begged  to  be  allowed 
to  go  with  him. 


l8  MAGELLAN. 

D'Almeyda  knew  Fernan  Magellan,  whom  he 
had  long  been  in  the  habit  of  meeting  about  the 
court.  He  had  seen  more  than  one  instance 
of  his  bravery,  and  was  deeply  impressed  with  the 
restless  ardor  of  his  ambition.  No  sooner  did 
Fernan,  therefore,  appear  before  him,  and  eagerly 
ask  for  a  place  under  his  command,  than  the 
viceroy  freely  promised  him  what  he  desired. 

Fernan  now  set  eagerly  about  his  preparations 
for  departure.  He  besought  and  easily  obtained 
the  consent  of  King  Manuel ;  and  finding  that  he 
had  plenty  of  spare  time  before  D'Almeyda 
sailed,  he  employed  it  in  revisiting  his  home  in 
Traz  OS  Montes,  to  bid  adieu  to  hisparents,broth- 
ers  and  sisters,  and  take  a  last  look  at  the  famil- 
iar scenes  of  his  childhood.  He  was  going  a  long 
way  off,  into  the  midst  of  many  dangers,  and 
might  never  behold  those  beloved  haunts  again. 

He  was  in  the  flower  of  young  manhood,  being 
about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  when,  from  the 
deck  of  the  flag-ship  of  D'Almeyda's  fleet,  he  saw, 
with  contending  emotions,  the  shores  of  Portu- 
gal growing  dim  and  fading  away  in  the  distance. 
He  found  himself  at  last  a  soldier,  in  a  large  and 
well-appointed  force ;  and  he  was  impatient  that 


MAGELLAN    AT   THE   WARS.  I9 

the  voyage  should  be  rapidly  pursued,  and  that 
they  should  quickly  reach  the  scene  gf  their 
future  exploits. 

No  untoward  mishap  marked  the  progress  of 
the  fleet.  Gentle  winds  wafted  it  on  its  course; 
scarcely  a  gale  assailed  it  as  it  sped  on,  touching 
now  at  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  now  at  the  pretty 
.  harbor  at  St.  Helena,  and  at  last  near  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope. 

D'Almeyda's  first  task  was  to  secure  Portu- 
guese garrisons  at  certain  points  on  the  East 
African  coast,  where,  according  to  the  reports  that 
had  reached  King  Manuel,  there  was  an  abund- 
ance of  gold  and  other  riches.  Entering  the 
harbor  of  Quiloa,  a  town  on  the  coast  ruled  over 
by  a  barbarian  king  who  was  hostile  to  the  Por- 
tuguese, he  assailed,  captured,  and  plundered  it. 
.Fernan  here  had  his  first  taste  of  the  excitements 
and  dangers  of  battle,  and  side-by-side  with  his 
noble  commander,  he  fought  with  a  headlong 
and  lion-like  courage  which  at  once  marked  him 
out  as  a  hero  among  his  comrades. 

From  Quiloa,  where  he  built  a  fort,  D'Almeyda 
went  to  Mombaza,  further  up  the  coast ;  and 
here,  too,  the  Portuguese  met  with   a  stout  re- 


20  MAGELLAN. 

sistance  from  the  natives.  These  natives  had 
already  had  a  taste  of  European  warfare ;  for 
some  years  before  Vasco  da  Gama  had  at- 
tacked them.  He  had,  it  seems,  lost  some  of 
his  cannon  overboard.  These  the  natives  had 
managed  to  haul  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
sea;  and,  somehow,  they  had  learned  how 
to  use  them;  so  that,  when  D'Almeyda  assailed 
them,  he  was  amazed  to  be  welcomed  with  the 
roar  of  artillery.  He  succeeded,  however,  after 
a  desperate  fight,  in  capturing  Mombaza,  where 
he  found  an  abundance  of  spoil ;  and  he  remained 
in  this  place  some  days. 

One  morning,  as  Fernan  was  looking  about 
him  in  this  strange  African  town,  he  was  sur- 
prised to  see,  propped  up  near  the  gate  of  the 
palace,  a  large  iron  anchor.  On  examining  it 
further,  he  found  that  it  had,  without  doubt, 
come  from  Portugal.  He  hastened  to  report  the 
discovery  to  D'Almeyda;  who,  on  questioning 
some  of  the  natives,  learned  that  it  was  an 
anchor  which  Vasco  da  Gama  had  lost  in  the  har- 
bor, and  which  had  been  hauled  up,  and  by  order 
of  the  king,  placed  at  his  palace  gate  as  a  curiosity. 

The  next  place  at  which  the  fleet  stopped  was 


MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS.  21 

the  friendly  town  of  Melinda,  where  Vasco  da 
Gama  had  been  welcomed  and  treated  with  lavish 
hospitality.  The  old  king,  who  had  shown  him 
so  much  attention,  was  dead  ;  but  in  his  stead 
ruled  his  son,  who  proved  equally  well-disposed 
towards  the  Portuguese.  D' Almeyda  was  received 
with  cordial  greeting,  visited  the  king  in  his  flour- 
ishing city,  and  was  allowed  to  build  a  fort  on  the 
heights  that  rose  above  it. 

All  this  time,  the  fleet  had  been  gradually 
drawing  nearer  to  India,  its  final  destination  ;  and 
on  leaving  Melinda,  it  struck  directly  across  the 
ocean,  favored  by  the  trade  winds,  and  after  a 
rapid  voyage,  reached  Malabar. 

Fernan,  who  had  shown  conspicuous  bravery  in 
all  the  battles  in  which  the  Portuguese  had  been 
engaged  with  the  Africans,  and  had  become 
a  great  favorite,  both  with  D'Almeydi  and  with 
his  fellow-soldiers,  was  delighted  to  see  at  last 
the  land  of  which  he  had  heard  so  much,  and 
where  he  hoped  to  fight  his  way  up  to  fame 
and  fortune.  He  gazed  in  wonder  at  the  singular 
costumes  of  the  natives,  the  gorgeous  turbans 
and  tunics  that  adorned  the  persons  of  the  princes 
and  great  men,  the  bazaars,  full  of  rich  cloths, 


22  MAGELLAN. 

fine  carvings,  and  luscious  fruits ;  and  marvelled 
at  the  luxurious  vegetation  that  crowned  the 
hills  and  clustered  in  the  valleys. 

But  he  was  soon  called  away  from  all  this  sight- 
seeing, by  his  duties  as  a  soldier.  He  had  not 
come  merely  to  visit  a  strange  land,  and  idly 
observe  its  curiosities  and  customs.  There  was 
stern  work  before  him  ;  and  he  cheerily  obeyed  the 
summons  that  called  upon  him  to  follow  his 
commander. 

He  served  gallantly  with  D'Almeyda  in  his 
many  attacks  upon  the  Indian  chiefs  and  towns 
that  still  resisted  the  Portuguese  sway ;  went 
with  him  to  Cochin  and  Cananore,  took  part  in 
the  desperate  seige  of  Coulam,  and  that  of  Onor, 
and  engaged  in  many  a  fight  with  the  Moors, 
who,  jealous  of  the  Portuguese,  exerted  their 
utmost  energies  to  drive  them  from  India. 

It  happened  that,  after  Fernan  had  been  in 
India  some  time,  a  famous  Portuguese  general, 
Alfonso  de  Albuquerque,  arrived  with  a  large 
force,  with  the  purpose  of  carrying  the  conquests 
of  Portugal  still  further  east.  Albuquerque 
was  one  of  the  greatest  soldiers  of  his  time. 
He   had  a   noble  nature,  was  refined,  generous, 


MAGELLAN     AT    THE    WARS.  2^ 

energetic,  and  as  brave  a  man  as  there  was  in 
the  world.  His  soldiers  idolized  him,  because, 
though  very  stern  when  offended,  he  cheerfully 
shared  their  hardships,  and  always  led  them  in 
person.  He  had  a  pleasant,  genial  face,  which 
was  rendered  yet  more  benign  by  the  long,  snow- 
white  beard  that  fell  over  his  breast,  almost  to 
his  waist ;  his  eye  was  bright  and  kindly,  but  in 
battle  was  lit  up  with  the  fierce  fire  of  his  valor 
and  enthusiasm  ;  his  bearing  was  at  once  dignified 
and  gracious. 

To  Albuquerque,  Fernan  was  at  once  attracted, 
and,  as  DlAlmeyda  was  now  busy  with  the  civil 
affairs  of  his  viceroyalty,  and  matters  were,  for  the 
time,  quiet  in  India,  he  hastened  to  enHst  under 
Albuquerque's  standard. 

Near  the  straits  between  the  Indian  Ocean  and 
the  Persian  gulf  lies  an  island,  on  which  stood, 
and  still  stands,  the  city  of  Ormuz.  It  is  an  old 
saying  in  the  East,  that  "  the  world  is  a  ring,  and 
Ormuz  is  the  gem  set  in  it."  At  the  time  of 
which  we  speak,  Ormuz  was,  in  consequence  of 
its  position  as  commanding  the  straits  between 
the  two  oceans,  one  of  the  most  important  places 
in  all  Asia.     Its  harbor  was  always  full  of   the 


24  MAGELLAN. 

quaint  craft  of  the  Eastern  waters ;  Arabian, 
Moorish,  Persian,  Indian,  Malay,  Tartar,  and 
Armenian  boats  might  have  been  seen  crowded 
together  in  its  roadstead;  while  its  markets 
teemad  with  the  various  wares  produced  in  the 
countries  to  which  they  belonged.  The  city  itself 
was  alive  with  trade  ;  its  streets  and  squares  were 
spread  over  a  wide  area ;  and  it  possessed  many 
stately  buildings. 

The  Portuguese  had  long  looked  with  covetous 
eyes  upon  so  fine  a  military  position,  and  so  rich 
an  emporium;  and  Albuquerque  was  resolved 
to  add  this  "  gem  of  the  world"  to  the  crown  of 
his  royal  master. 

It  was  in  September,  1507,  that  he  set  sail,  with 
a  fleet  of  seven  ships  and  a  force  of  less  than 
five  hundred  men,  to  attack  a  city  which,  helcnew 
well,  was  defended  by  a  large  garrison  of  Indians 
and  Persians.  With  Albuquerque  went,  his  heart 
aglow  with  excitement  and  hope,  Fernan  Magel- 
lan. There  was  not  a  soldier  in  the  little  army 
that  looked  forward  more  cheerily  than  he  to  what 
was  nothing  less  than  a  recklessly  audacious  en- 
terprise. His  experience  in  war  made  him  con- 
fident of  his  prowess;  and   he  longed    to   meet 


MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS.  2$ 

foemen,  like  the  Persians  and  Arabs,  more  worthy 
of  the  steel  of  Portuguese  cavaliers  than  the 
African  barbarians  and  the  half-civilized  Hindoos. 

In  due  time  the  fleet  arrived  off  the  busy  har- 
bor of  Ormuz  ;  and  Albuquerque  hastened  to 
attack  the  ships  which  defended  it.  One  by  one 
the  native  ships,  riddled  by  Albuquerque's  can- 
non, sank  beneath  the  waves;  the  town  itself 
was  set  on  fire ;  and  soon  a  message  came  from 
the  grand  vizier,  that  he  would  yield  to  the 
Portuguese,  acknowledge  King  Manuel  as  the 
lord  of  Ormuz,  allow  a  fort  to  be  built,  and  pay 
a  large  tribute.  Content  with  this  submission, 
Albuquerque  sailed  back  to  India  again. 

But  when  he  had  gone,  the  vizier,  (who  was 

reigning  as  regent  in  Ormuz,  during  the  infancy 
of  its  prince),  refused  to  fulfill  his  pledges ;  and 
the  next  year,  Albuquerque  again  attacked  the 
city.  This  time  he  was  badly  repulsed  ;  and  was  at 
last  forced  to  give  up  the  purpose  of  capturing  it. 
In  these  conflicts  young  Fernan  took  an  eager 
and  gallant  part.  More  than  once  he  fell  seri- 
ously wounded,  but  as  soon  as  his  wounds  were 
dressed,  he  was  up  again,  fighting  with  all  his 
might;  and  soon  was  known  throughout  India  as 


26  'MAGELLAN. 

one  of  the  bravest  captains  in  the  Portuguese 
camp. 

He  went  on  many  of  the  expeditions  that  were 
undertaken  by  Albuquerque  and  other  generals, 
everywhere  displaying  conspicuous  valor  and 
military  skill ;  and  he  at  the  same  time  made 
himself  beloved  by  his  fellow-soldiers,  by  sharing 
their  dangers  and  hardships,  and  devoting  himself 
heart  and  soul  to  their  welfare. 

On  one  occasion,  a  small  fleet  was  sent  by 
Albuquerque  from  Cochin  back  to  Portugal,  and 
two  ships,  one  of  them  commanded  by  Magellan, 
were  dispatched  to  convey  this  fleet  into  the 
open  sea.  These  two  ships  set  out  towards 
night;  but  had  not  proceeded  far,  when,  in  the 
darkness,  they  both  struck  on  the  shoals  of 
Padua,  remaining  aground,  and  upright  on  their 
keels.  It  was  a  situation  of  great  peril,  for  the 
ships  were  likely  to  break  up  and  founder  at  any 
moment.  In  all  haste  the  boats  were  got  out, 
and  a  great  clamor  now  arose  among  the  men  as 
to  who  should  return  in  them  to  the  main  land. 

At  this  critical  juncture,  Magellan  displayed  the 
true  nobility  of  his  nature.  Although,  as  an  offi- 
cer, he  was  entitled  to  return  in  the  boats,  he 


MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS.  2/ 

resolutely  refused  to  do  so.  He  declared  that  he 
would  remain  with  the  men,  while  the  rest  of  the 
officers  went  back ;  and  he  went  around  among 
the  sailors,  exhorting  them  to  stand  by  the  ships 
as  long  as  they  remained  above  water. 

His  example  put  to  shame  those  who  had  been 
clamoring  to  return  to  the  main  land,  and  his 
cheery  words  turned  their  terror  into  confidence. 

He  happened,  just  as  one  of  the  boats,  full  of 
its  human  freight,  was  about  to  pull  away  to  the 
shore,  to  step  into  it  for  a  moment,  to  speak  to 
its  captain.  One  of  the  sailors,  alarmed  at  this, 
cried  out  to  him  : 

**  Sir,  did  you  not  promise  to  stay  with  us?" 

**  Yes,"  shouted  back  Magellan  ;  "  and  see,  I  am 
coming ;"  with  which  he  climbed  back  upon  the 
stranded  ship  again,  and  took  his  place  among 
those  who  were  to  stay  by  the  ships. 

The  boats  having  departed,  Magellan  set  vig- 
orously to  work  to  save  the  ships  and  their  car- 
goes. He  ordered  shores  to  be  set  with  the 
yards  on  each  side  of  the  vessels,  their  sides  to 
be  raised  as  well  as  possible,  and  biscuits  and 
water  to  be  put  within.  These  tasks  done,  Ma- 
gellan saw  to  it  that  the  men  committed  no  rob- 


28  -  ^  MAGELLAN 

beries,  and  completely  won  their  confidence  by 
the  promptness  and  vigor  of  his  measures. 

In  this  dangerous  situation  the  crew  remained 
for  a  week ;  when  some  caravels,  sent  out  to  sue- 
cor  them,  arrived,  took  them  on  board,  and 
transferred  so  much  of  the  cargoes  as  remained 
uninjured  by  the  salt  water.  The  stranded  ships 
were  then  burned,  and  Magellan  and  his  compan- 
ions returned  safely  to  Cochin. 

Soon  after  this,  MagelPan  committed  an  act 
which  not  only  deprived  him  of  the  affection  of 
Albuquerque,  but  had  a  very  important  influence 
on  his  future  career.  He  was  now  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  of  the  Portuguese  captains  in 
Portugal,  and  was  called  into  the  councils  of  the 
viceroy  and  the  generals,  to  take  part  in  the 
decisions  which  those  councils  made. 

Albuquerque  was  anxious  to  make  an  attack 
on  a  town  called  Goa,  which  was  situated  on  an 
island,  just  off  the  coast  of  India.  It  had  a  good 
harbor,  and  was  one  of  the  chief  trading-places 
on  the  coast.  He  therefore  called  a  council  of 
war,  and  proposed  his  project  to  the  assembled 
chiefs.  Among  these  was  Magellan.  On  hear- 
ing the  general's  plan,  he  was  bold  enough  to 


MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS.  2g 

Oppose  it.  He  reminded  Albuquerque  that  the 
winds  were  now  contrary,  and  that  if  the  ships 
were  taken  to  Goa,  they  could  not  return  that 
year  to  Portugal; and  did  his  utmost  to  dissuade 
the  general  from  the  expedition. 

Magellan's  opposition  did  not  please  Albuquer- 
que, who,  though  not  an  unamiable  man,  was  im- 
patient of  contradiction.  He  declared  that  in 
spite  of  what  Magellan  said,  he  should  go  to 
Goa,  with  such  ships  as  he  had,  and  such  men  as 
chose  to  go  with  him  ;  and  he  accordingly  sailed 
out  of  Cochin  with  twenty-one  vessels,  and  six- 
teen hundred  soldiers,  to  execute  his  purpose. 

Having  thus  displeased  the  old  warrior,  under 
whose  lead  he  had  fought  so  long  and  well,  Ma- 
gellan found  himself  out  of  service  in  India.  But 
he  could  not  rest  idle.  His  ambition  still  stirred 
him  to  attempt  deeds  of  daring,  to  share  the 
the  thrilling  perils  of  the  camp  and  field. 

Besides  alienating  the  good  will  of  Albuquer- 
que, he  had  lost  nearly  all  the  property  he  had  ac- 
quired during  his  residence  in  India ;  and  to  con- 
tinue his  military  life  was  not  only  a  satisfaction 
but  a  necessity. 

He  accordingly  turned  his  eyes  to  another  part 


30  MAGELLAN. 

of  the  world,  where  the  Portuguese  were  contend 
ing  for  dominion,  just  as  they  were  in  India. 
They  had  long  engaged  in  fierce  wars  with  the 
Moors ;  and  had  managed  to  secure  some  foot- 
hold in  Morocco.  Thither  Magellan,  pining  for 
active  service,  wended  his  way ;  and  soon  found 
himself  in  command  of  some  Portuguese  troops 
at  a  settlement  called  Azamor.  Here  he  engaged 
in  almost  continual  conflicts  with  the  Moors  and 
Arabs,  who  struggled  fiercely  against  the  Euro- 
pean intruders  upon  African  soil. 

Magellan  would  sally  out  from  the  town,  at 
the  head  of  a  body  of  his  brave  troopers,  and  reck- 
lessly assail  the  Arab  camps  that  threatened  to 
attack  it.  He  rode  or  marched  at  the  head  of  his 
soldiers,  and  was  the  first  to  fire  at  or  cut  down 
with  sword  the  swarthy  foes  who  rushed  out  to 
meet  him. 

On  one  of  these  rash  sallies,  Magellan  fell 
hotly  upon  an  Arab  camp,  and  was  dealing  Hercu- 
lean blows,  right  and  left,  when  a  poisoned  javelin, 
hurled  from  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  entered  his 
leg.  He  had  so  often  been  wounded  before,  that 
he  made  light  of  the  circumstance;  but  on  being 
carried  back  to  Azamor,  it  was  found  that  the 


MAGELLAN    AT    THE    WARS.  3I 

wound  was  a  serious  one.  The  skill  of  the  sur- 
geons soon  restored  him  to  health  ;  but  from  that 
day  till  his  death,  Magellan  was  lame. 

Magellan,  through  all  the  exciting  events  in 
which  he  had  taken  part  since  leaving  the  royal 
court  at  Lisbon,  had  never  lost  sight  of  the  chief 
ambition  and  desire  of  his  youth.  This  was,  to 
win  the  laurels  of  a  great  discoverer,  and  to 
leave  his  name  renowned  in  history,  as  were 
those  of  Columbus  and  Vasco  da  Gama.  He  had 
now  seen  much  service,  and  felt  that  there  was 
little  glory  to  be  gained  in  the  petty  wars  with 
the  Moors ;  and  he  became  impatient  to  enter 
upon  some  long  and  hazardous  voyage,  and 
search  the  strange  and  obscure  regions  of  the 
world. 

He  therefore  repaired  to  Lisbon,  to  entreat 
King  Manuel  to  fit  up  and  give  him  the  command 
of  an  expedition  of  discovery. 


32  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  III. 


MAGELLAN   IN    SPAIN. 


AGELLAN  approached  the  capital  of  his 
native  land  with  much  misgiving.  He 
knew  but  too  well  that  King  Manuel  no 
longer  looked  upon  him  with  the  favor  he  once 
had  done,  in  spite  of  his  heroic  service  in  India  and 
Africa.  His  resistance  to  Albuquerque's  plans  had 
been  reported  to  the  court,  and  had  deeply  of- 
fended the  king.  Moreover,when  Magellan,  finding 
his  stipend  too  little  to  support  him,  had  petitioned 
the  king  to  increase  it,  the  request  had  been 
curtly  refused. 

Yet  he  was  resolved  not  to  waste  his  years  in 
fighting  against  the  Moors.  He  had  heard,  from 
one  of  his  most  intimate  friends,  an  energetic 
voyager  named  Francisco  Serrano,  of  the  delights 
and  riches  of  the  famous  Molucca  Islands,  in  the 
Eastern  seas  ;  and,  after  deep  study  of  the  rude 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  33 

maps  which  then  existed,  Magellan  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  those  islands  might  be  reached 
by  sailing,  not  southward  and  eastward,  by  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  around  India,  but  west- 
ward, across  the  Atlantic. 

If  this  were  only  possible  to  be  done,  he  who 
should  succeed  in  doing  it  would  win  renown 
rivalling  that  of  Vasco  da  Gama  himself;  and 
Magellan  made  up  his  mind  that,  at  all  hazards, 
he  would  attempt  it. 

On  reaching  Lisbon,  he  lost  no  time  in  seeking 
an  audience  of  King  Manuel.  But  the  king, 
having  now  imbibed  a  violent  prejudice  against  his 
brave  officer,  at  first  refused  to  see  him  at  all ; 
and  Magellan's  heart  sank  within  him. 

One  day,  however,  he  received  a  summons  to 
appear  in  the  royal  presence.  Determined  to 
make  the  best  of  circumstances,  Magellan  donned 
a  rich  suit  of  velvet,  put  on  a  handsome  cap 
adorned  with  plumes,  and  taking  his  handsomest 
sword  from  the  wall,  buckled  it  about  his  waist. 
Then,  with-  haughty  carriage,  for  even  before 
majesty  itself  he  would  bear  himself  proudly,  he 
entered  the  audience  chamber,  and  advanced 
with  a  slight  limp  in  his  gait,  to  where  the  king 


34  MAGELLAN 

sat  upon  his  throne,  surrounded  by  his  courtiers. 

King  Manuel  glanced  at  him  coldly,  and  a 
frown  gathered  on  his  face. 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  he,  sternly,  "  why  have  you  left 
your  post  in  Africa,  to  come  hither?  What  peti^ 
tion  do  you  desire  to  make?" 

"  I  have  come,  your  Majesty,"  replied  Magel- 
lan, bowing,  "to  ask  for  an  employment  higher 
and  more  perilous,  and  of  greater  benefit  to  your 
throne,  than  that  in  which  I  have  been  engaged. 
I  pray  you  to  reflect,  sir,  that  I  have  been  of 
some  service  to  the  state.  My  wounds,  that  1 
bear  on  every  part  of  my  body,  attest  it.  I  seek 
a  wider  field  of  service  to  your  Majesty." 

''  Magellan,"  was  the  royal  retort,  **  you  caused 
sore  trouble  in  India,  when  you  obstinately  op- 
posed the  projects  of  my  good  general,  Albuquer- 
que, and  incited  the  captains  to  refuse  to  go 
with  him ;  you  have  demanded  of  me  a  larger 
stipend  than  you  deserve ;  and  you  have  left 
your  post  to  come  hither  on  some  fool's  errand. 
What  do  you  wish  ?" 

"The  king  is  not  just  to  me !"  boldly  declared 
the  cavalier.  "  But  I  will  not  dare  reproach  him. 
Sire,  my  wish  is  to  command  an  expedition  of  dis. 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  35 

covery.  I  would  seek  a  new  and  shorter  way,  by 
sailing  westward,  to  the  islands  of  the  eastern 
seas." 

"  It  is  folly !"  said  the  king,  ''  I  will  not 
permit  you  to  attempt  it.  Retire,  Magel- 
lan. You  have  provoked  my  displeasure  by  leav- 
ing your  post.  Return  to  it,  sir,  and  be  thankful 
that  you  are  not  punished  for  your  conduct." 

With  bowed  head,  and  countenance  deadly 
pale  with  indignation  and  disappointment,  Ma- 
gellan slowly  passed  out  of  the  hall  into  the  cor- 
ridor of  the  palace.  Overcome  with  sad  emotion, 
he  leaned  against  one  of  the  pillars,  and  almost 
sobbed  in  his  intense  grief.  Thus  were  all  his 
bright  hopes  dashed  ;  thus  all  his  bright  dreams 
of  adventures  and  fame  rudely  dispelled. 

As  he  lingered  in  the  corridor,  a  tall,  stalwart 
man,  with  black  beard  that  swept  down  to  his 
girdle,  his  body  enveloped  in  a  long  black  gown, 
and  his  head  covered  with  a  black  velvet  skull- 
cap, approached,  and  gently  laid  his  hand  upon 
the  cavalier's  shoulder. 

"  Be  of  good  cheer,  Magellan  !"  said  he,  in  a 
low,  sympathetic  voice.  ''There  are  other  kings 
in  Christendom  besides  King  Manuel,  and  other 


36  MAGELLAN 

stout  and  goodly  caravels  than  those  of  Portugal. 
All  is  not  lost  because  your  petition  is  rejected. 
You  have  been  severely  treated ;  but  if  King 
Manuel  blindly  refuses  to  perceive  your  genius, 
there  are  those  who  will !" 

*'  What  mean  you,  my  friend  ?"  asked  Magel- 
lan, looking  up  with  a  bright  glance  in  his  eyes, 
for  the  other's  words  gave  him  a  world  of  encour- 
agement, and  comfort ;  "  what  career  is  open  to 
me,  besides  that  which  King  Manuel  refuses?" 

**  Why,  that  which  his  rival.  King  Charles,  will 
open  to  you  !  Know  you  not  that  the  Spanish 
king  is  ambitious,  and  is  jealous  of  the  triumphs 
of  Portugal  on  the  sea,  and  her  conquests  in  dis- 
tant lands?" 

"What,  Faleiro,"  exclaimed  Magellan,  "  would 
you  have  me  desert  my  native  land,  and  my  sov- 
ereign, to  seek  a  foreign  service?" 

"Nothing  is  more  common,"  replied  the  other. 
"  Here,  your  service  is  disdainfully  rejected.  To 
stay,  is  to  spend  your  life  in  stupid  skirmishes 
with  Moors  and  Arabs,  to  live  on  a  miserable 
pittance.  If  King  Manuel  will  have  none  of  you, 
in  what  are  you  bound  to  him  ?" 

Faleiro's  words  sank  deep  into  Magellan's  heart. 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  3/ 

They  revived  his  faltering  hopes,  and  opened  be- 
fore him  a  new  prospect,  just  as  that  which  had 
so  much  allured  him  seemed  closed  forever.  His 
soul  smarted  under  the  sharp  reproofs  and  abrupt 
refusal  of  King  Manuel ;  his  pride  was  wounded 
to  the  quick ;  his  nature  revolted  from  humble 
submission  to  the  disgrace  of  being  thus  publicly 
and  scornfully  repelled. 

Taking  Faleiro's  arm,  he  walked  with  him  slowly 
out  of   the  palace,  towards  his  friend's  lodgings. 

This  Faleiro  was  an  astrologer,  and  professed 
to  read  the  future  in  the  stars  and  signs  of  the 
heavens.  Astrologers  in  those  days  were  held 
in  great  honor  and  reverence  in  Spain  and  Portu- 
gal ;  and  even  the  wisest  men  lent  an  eager  ear 
to  their  prophecies.  So  it  was  that  Faleiro  was 
highly  esteemed  at  King  Manuel's  court.  It  was 
there  that  he  had  learned  to  love  the  impetuous 
and  warm-hearted  Magellan  ;  and  as  he  himself 
had  a  taste  for  travel  and  adventures,  they  soon 
became  very  intimate. 

The  astrologer  had  heard  with  both  sorrow  and 
anger  the  king's  harsh  words  to  Magellan ;  and 
he  now  devoted  himself  to  reviving  the  down- 
cast spirits  of  his  friend. 


38  MAGELLAN. 

They  soon  reached  Faleiro's  abode.  It  was  a 
plain,  somewhat  gloomy  building;  and  this  im- 
pression was  increased  when  one  entered  the 
dark  apartment  where  the  astrologer  pursued  his 
mysterious  studies. 

The  unpainted  walls  were  hung  with  astronom- 
ical charts,  and  strange  pictures  representing 
various  aspects  of  the  firmament ;  while  on  the 
long  tables  that  lined  the  room  were  globes,  tele- 
scopes, and  other  instruments  used  by  Faleiro  in 
his  nightly  tasks.  A  plain  table  occupied  the 
centre,  and  to  this  two  high-backed  chairs  were 
drawn. 

It  being  now  dusk,  Faleiro  lighted  a  taper,  which 
spread  a  dim  light  through  the  apartment ;  and 
motioning  to  Magellan  to  sit  in  one  chair,  him- 
self took  possession  of  the  other. 

"The  present  is  dark  to  you,  dear  Fernan,"  he 
said;  "it  seems  to  you,  does  it  not,  as  if  no 
bright  future  were  in  store  for  you?" 

"  Do  you  bid  me  hope,"  was  Magellan's  reply, 
"for  better  fortune?" 

"  I  do.  You  know  that  I  have  cast  your  horo- 
scope, and  have  predicted  for  you  a  great  and 
glorious  career.     In   your   own    land   you    have 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  39 

nothing  to  hope  for.  Go,  therefore,  to  Spain; 
the  king  will  recognize  your  merits,  and,  no 
doubt,  will  give  you  a  fleet.  If  you  will  go,  Fer- 
nan,  I  will  go  with.  you.  I,  too,  long  to  brave  the 
ocean's  perils,  to  search  out  new  countries.  We 
will  seek  our  fortune  on  the  deep  together." 

His  friend's  declaration  that  he  would  go  with 
him  decided  Magellan.  He  no  longer  hesitated, 
but  said  that  he  would  lose  no  time  in  preparing 
to  change  his  allegiance  from  Don  Manuel  to  King 
Charles.  It  was  late  at  night  when  the  friends 
parted  with  warm  embraces.  Magellan  hastened 
to  his  lodgings,  and  tossed  all  night  on  his  bed, 
agitated  by  the  new  project  that  filled  his  mind. 
The  more  he  thought  of  it,  the  more  firmly  fixed 
became  his  resolve  to  leave  the  service  of  his  un- 
grateful sovereign,  and  to  become  a  subject  of 
the  king  of  Spain.  As  Faleiro  had  said,  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing  then  (nor  is  it  now)  for  a 
man  to  thus  transfer  his  citizenship  and  adopt 
another  country  than  that  in  which  he  had 
been  born;  and  Magellan  certainly  had  the 
strongest  reason  to  abandon  his  allegiance  to 
King  Manuel. 

There  was  another  reason,  of  which  he  had 


40  MAGELLAN. 

said  nothing  to  Faleiro,  why  the  project  of  going 
to  Spain  pleased  him. 

At  Seville  lived  a  cousin  of  his,  named  Don 
Diego  Barbosa.  This  Barbosa  was  a  man  of 
much  wealth  and  importance,  and  although  a 
Portuguese,  had  risen  to  be  mayor  of  the  ancient 
Spanish  city.  He  lived  in  a  grand  house  there, 
and  gave  splendid  entertainments,  and  lived  in 
sumptuous  luxury. 

Before  Barbosa  had  moved  from  Lisbon  to 
Seville,  young  Magellan  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  familiarly  at  his  house.  He  had  been 
received,  being  a  relation,  as  one  of  the  family ; 
and  many  of  the  pleasantest  hours  of  his  early 
sojourn  at  court,  were  spent  at  his  cousin 
Barbosa's. 

Of  one  member  of  the  family,  Magellan  be- 
came especially  fond.  This  was  Barbosa's  lovely 
young  daughter,  Beatrix.  She  was  tall  and  slight, 
with  long,  rich,  raven  ringlets,  melting  brown  eyes, 
and  gentle  and  graceful  bearing.  No  wonder  that 
the  young  courtier  was  drzzled  by  her  beauty,  or 
that  she,  in  return,  was  pleased  with  the  fine 
cavalier  who  cast  upon  her  so  many  soft,  appeal- 
ing glances. 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  4I 

When  Barbosa,  carrying  away  the  fair  Beatrix, 
repaired  to  Seville  to  live,  Magellan  was  very  much 
cast  down.  But  soon  after,  he  had  sailed  for 
India,  and  his  grief  at  losing  sight  of  his  lovely 
cousin,  was  softened  amid  the  stirring  scenes 
which  absorbed  his  mind  in  the  East. 

Now,  he  was  himself  going  to  Spain,  and  would 
not  fail  to  visit  Seville.  Then,  if  Beatrix  were 
still  free,  he  would  revive  his  courtship,  and  win 
her  if  he  could. 

In  no  long  time,  the  two  friends  had  made 
their  preparations  for  departure.  Magellan  re- 
signed his  commission  as  an  officer  in  King 
Manuel's  army ;  and  without  taking  the  trouble 
to  make  his  appearance  again  at  a  court  where  he 
had  been  so  rudely  and  publicly  disgraced,  set 
out  on  horseback,  with  Faleiro,  for  Seville. 

The  journey  was  a  long  one,  but  the  travellers 
were  not  pressed  for  time,  and  made  merry  on 
their  bright  prospects,  as  they  went.  Fortun- 
ately, they  had  a  good  supply  of  money,  and 
were  attended  by  two  faithful  servants,  who  went 
fully  armed,  lest  the  party  should  be  attacked  by 
the  brigands. 

It  was  mid-Autumn,  and  nature  was  brilliant 


42  MAGELLAN. 

with  the  fast-changing  foliage  of  the  dense  forests 
of  Southern  Portugal  and  Spain.  Everywhere, 
in  the  vineyards,  the  grape-pickers,  of  all  ages  and 
both  sexes,  were  busily  at  work,  gathering  the 
full-ripe  harvest ;  while  ever  and  anon  the  travel- 
lers came  upon  the  yards  where,  in  rude  stone 
troughs,  the  peasants  were  busy  treading  and 
pressing  the  grapes,  the  juice  of  which  ran  out, 
in  gushing  streams,  into  the  big  tubs  set  below. 
Magellan  and  Faleiro  often  stopped  to  pass  a 
merry  word  with  the  toilers,  and  to  drink  the 
new-made  wine,  as  they  sat  at  the  tables  in  front 
of  the  cozy  wayside  inns. 

They  reached  Seville  without  mishap,  and  re- 
paired at  once  to  a  large  hostelry,  which  stood  on 
one  of  the  public  squares.  Magellan's  heart  beat 
high  as  he  thought  that,  not  far  off,  lived 
Beatrix,  all  unconscious  that  he  was  so  near.  A 
hundred  doubts  and  misgivings  passed  through 
his  excited  mind.  Perhaps  she  was  already 
married  ;  perhaps  she  had  entirely  forgotten  him  ; 
perhaps,  true  to  her  love,  but  despairing  of  his, 
she  had  retired  to  a  convent,  and  become  a  nun. 
Many  years  had  passed  since  he  had  seen  her ; 
and,  instead  of  the  slim,  shy  girl  of  fourteen  that 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  43 

he  so  tenderly  remembered,  she  must  now  be  9 
stately  and   mature   woman  of  twenty-five. 

Eager  as  he  was,  however,  to  see  her  and  learn 
his  fate,  his  thoughts  were  not  entirely  absorbed 
by  the  gentle  Beatrix.  He  reflected  with  a 
thrill  that  he  was  now  in  the  territory  of  the  war- 
like and  ambitious  king  of  Spain  ;  that  he  was 
within  a  step  of  those  famous  quays  of  Seville, 
whence  so  many  gallant  expeditions  had  sailed  in 
search  of  discovery,  and  where,  even  now,  fleets 
of  caravels  lay  at  anchor,  ready  to  make  their  ven- 
tures upon  the  ocean.  Magellan  longed  to 
stroll  along  the  quays,  and  to  talk  with  the  rough 
cap1:ains  about  their  expected  voyages. 

Arrayed  in  his  gayest  attire,  Magellan  set  out 
the  next  day  to  make  known  his  presence  in 
Seville,  to  his  cousin,  Diego  Barbosa.  He  ap- 
proached the  spacious  mansion  with  fluttering 
heart,  and  his  hand  trembled  as  he  knocked  upon 
its  lofty  portal. 

Don  Diego  received  him  with  the  warmest 
welcome.  He  had  heard,  with  pride,  of  Ma- 
gellan's exploits  in  India  and  Africa,  and  was 
delighted  to  learn  that  he  now  proposed  to  enter 
King  Charles's  service.     He  bade  Magellan  make 


44  MAGELLAN. 

his  house  his  home,  and  ordered  the  best  that  hlg 
well-stocked  larder  afforded  to  be  set  before  the 
new-comer. 

To  Magellan's  anxious  inquiries  for  Beatrix, 
Don  Diego  replied  that  she  was  at  home,  and 
well,  and  that  he  should  presently  judge  how  she 
was,  for  himself. 

He  had,  indeed,  scarcely  finished  the  bounteous 
meal  which  his  cousin  had  caused  to  be  set  before 
him,  when  Beatrix  entered.  She  had  grown,  as 
he  supposed,  to  be  a  charming  and  graceful 
woman ;  and  to  his  joy,  he  perceived  that  she 
welcomed  him  with  the  same  blushing  warmth 
that  she  used  to  do.  It  was  a  moment  of  rare 
delight  to  the  lovers  when  they  found  that,  after 
so  long  a  separation,  each  retained  the  old 
affection  for  the  other. 

Magellan  at  once  took  up  his  quarters  at  Don 
Diego's  ;  and  made  up  for  the  lost  time  in  his 
eager  courtship  of  Beatrix.  Her  father,  far  from 
being  averse  to  this  state  of  things,  encouraged 
it ;  and  ere  long  Magellan  had  pleaded  for  and 
won  the  hand  of  his  fair  cousin,  with  the  Don's 
full  consent  and  blessing. 

While  his  friend  was  thus  revelling  in  the  de- 


MAGELLAN    IN    SPAIN.  45 

lights  of  happy  love,  Faleiro  busied  himself  with 
the  errand  on  which  he  had  come  to  Spain.  He 
made  the  acquaintance  of  many  captains,  and 
sought  for  some  time  in  vain,  for  an  opportunity 
to  lay  their  projects  before  the  king.  Meanwhile, 
he  petitioned  to  the  Council  of  India,  a  body  of 
grandees  who  had  charge  of  the  Spanish  posses- 
sions and  discoveries  in  the  East,  to  accept  their 
services,  and  send  them  on  an  expedition  to  find 
the  way,  by  a  westward  route,  to  the  Molucca 
Islands. 

Four  months  after  their  arrival  at  Seville,  Ma- 
gellan and  Faleiro  set  out  for  Valladolid,  where 
the  royal  court  was  sojourning.  They  were  at- 
tended by  a  large  retinue  of  servants,  provided 
for  them  by  the  good  Don  Diego ;  and  as  they 
passed  along  the  highway  between  Seville  and 
Valladolid,  they  met  many  cavalcades  passing  to 
and  from  the  court.  The  Spanish  knights  who 
met  Magellan  greeted  him  with  respect  and 
honor,  for  his  fame  had  reached  King  Charles's 
dominions,  and  it  had  gradually  been  whispered 
abroad  that  he  was  about  to  enter  the  Spanish 
service. 

On  reaching  Valladolid,  they  found,  to  their  dis- 


46 


MAGELLAN, 


appointment,  that  the  king  was  away  in  the 
north,  on  a  hunting  expedition ;  but  they  were 
reassured  by  the  favorable  reception  with  which 
Fonseca,-  the  president  of  the  Council  of  India, 
welcomed  them  at  court. 

They  lost  no  time  in  laying  their  plans  before 
this  great  man.  He  listened  incredulously,  and 
when  Magellan,  with .  earnest  voice  and  excited 
gestures,  tried  to  show  him,  by  a  chart,  how  it  was 
as  possible  to  pass  around  the  South  American 
Continent,  as  it  had  been  for  Vasco  da  Gama  to 
double  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  he  smilingly 
shook  his  head.  Fonseca,  however,  promised 
that  as  soon  as  the  king  returned,  he  would  se- 
cure an  audience  for  the  two  Portuguese;  and 
they  waited  impatiently  until  Charles  should  be 
surfeited  with  his  hunting,  and  should  reappear 
in  the  midst  of  his  court. 


MAGELLAN.  47 


CHAPTER   IV. 

PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE. 

ING  CHARLES  of  Spain,  at  the  time  that 
Magellan  sought  him  at  Valladolid,  was 
scarcely  more  than  a  boy  in  years ;  but 
already  he  betrayed  the  bold  and  ambitious  traits 
which  were  to  make  him  famous,  when  after- 
wards, as  the  Emperor  Charles  V.  of  Germany, 
he  engaged  in  the  great  wars  with  France. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  though  beardless, 
slight,  and  short  in  form,  with  a  head  of  thick, 
stubby,  yellow  hair,  and  the  large  jaw  of  the 
royal  house  of  Castile,  there  was  something  in 
his  presence  and  bearing  that  was  not  only 
kingly*  hut  that  inspired  all  who  approached  him 
with  a  respect  which  was  as  much  a  tribute  to 
his  character  as  to  his  rank. 

Charles  was  especially  earnest  in  his  desire  to 


48  MAGELLAN. 

maintain  and  increase  the  renown  of  Spain  as  the 
discoverer  and  conquerer  of  distant  lands.  He 
was  proud  of  the  noble  traditions  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella,  his  grandfather  and  grandmother ; 
rejoiced  to  remember  that  it  was  by  their  help 
that  Columbus  was  enabled  to  find  a  new  contin- 
ent beyond  the  Atlantic ;  and  was  deeply  jealous 
of  the  triumphs  of  his  neighbors,  the  Portuguese, 
in  their  conquests  in  India,  and  on  the  African 
coast. 

When  Magellan  and  Faleiro,  therefore,  were 
ushered  into  his  presence,  the  king  was  prepared 
to  give  them  a  hearty  welcome,  and  to  listen 
with  attentive  ear  to  what  they  said. 

In  presence  of  the  Spanish  court,  Magellan  un- 
folded his  project  in  an  earnest  and  eloquent 
speech.  He  described  to  the  king  the  discov- 
eries already  made  in  America,  and  declared  that, 
if  he  were  only  permitted  to  make  the  attempt, 
he  had  no  doubt  of  being  able  to  find  a  passage 
around  the  newly-discovered  continent.  His  en- 
thusiasm at  once  inspired  King  Charles  with  con- 
fidence in  him ;  and  his  words,  describing  in 
glowing  terms  the  increased  wealth  and  power 
which  would  come  to  the  Spanish  crown,  if  his 


REPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE.      49 

proposed  voyage  were  successful,  aroused  all 
Charles's  eager  ambition. 

On  being  dismissed  from  the  royal  presence, 
Magellan  and  Faleiro  returned  to  their  lodgings, 
to  await,  in  anxious  suspense,  the  king's  decision. 
His  gracious  bearing  towards  them  led  them  to 
hope  that  he  would  grant  their  wishes  ;  nor  was 
this  hope  disappointed. 

A  few  days  after,  they  received  a  summons  to 
appear  before  Fonseca,  the  president  of  the 
Council  of  India  ;  and  when  they  entered  his 
apartment,  he  welcomed  them  with  a  cordiality 
which  augured  well  for  their  project.  His  words 
soon  relieved  them  of  all  doubt. 

"  The  king,"  he  said,  "  has  well  considered  what 
you  said  to  him ;  and  has  consulted  his  grandees 
and  counsellors  upon  the  matter.  He  decides  to 
consent  to  your  desires ;  to  furnish  you  with  a 
fleet,  of  which  you,  Magellan,  are  to  have  the 
command ;  and  trusting  in  your  loyalty,  he  will 
provide  you  with  the  men  and  materials  necessary 
for  your  expedition." 

The  friends  embraced  each  other  in  their  joy, 
and  warmly  expressed  their  gratitude  to  Fonseca. 
Once  more  Magellan's  heart  beat  with  proud  and 


50  MAGELLAN. 

ambitious  anticipation.  The  chief  longing  of  his 
life  was  about  to  be  gratified.  He  would  at  last 
traverse  the  ocean,  and  search  for  the  passage,  the 
existence  which  had  been  a  deeply-seated  belief 
in  his  soul. 

Full  of  exultation,  he  dispatched  a  messenger 
with  a  letter  for  his  beloved  Beatrix  at  Seville, 
which  apprized  her  of  his  glorious  success  at 
court ;  and  then,  with  Faleiro,  cheerily  set  to 
work  preparing  for  the  expedition  that  had  so 
long  filled  his  thoughts. 

King  Charles  was  as  good  as  his  word.  He 
agreed  to  fit  out  five  sound  and  sturdy  ships,  and 
to  man  them  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  able 
seamen,  who  should  be  paid,  for  a  period  of  two 
years,  out  of  the  royal  treasury  of  Spain.  He 
promised  Magellan  that,  if  Le  succeeded  in  dis- 
covering the  desired  passage,  no  other  Spanish 
seaman  should  go  through  it  for  ten  years ;  that 
he  should  have  command  of  the  fleet  as  its  ad^ 
miral,  and  be  the  governor  of  all  the  lands  that 
he  might  discover. 

The  king  further  agreed  that  Magellan  should 
have  a  twentieth  part  of  all  the  revenues  fiom 
these  lands,  which  the  Spanish  treasury  received ; 


PREPARATIONS    FOR    THE    VOYAGE  5 1 

that  he  should  be  allowed  to  send  cargoes  of 
spices  to  Spain  every  year,  to  the  value  of  one 
thousand  ducats,  a  fifth  of  which  he  should  have 
for  himself ;  and  that,  of  the  islands  he  should 
discover,  after  the  king  had  chosen  six,  he  should 
have,  as  his  own,  the  seventh  and  eighth. 

Thus,  if  the  voyage  were  only  successful,  Ma- 
gellan would  not  only  win  great  fame,  but  become 
speedily  a  rich  man  ;  for  the  islands  in  the  seas  to 
which  he  hoped  to  penetrate  were  well  known 
to  be  teeming  with  precious  spices  and  other 
valuable  productions. 

But  Magellan's  path  was  not  yet  an  altogether 
smooth  one.  Many  Spanish  courtiers  and  cap- 
tains became  jealous  of  the  foreigner's  success 
with  the  king,  and  whispered  suspicions  into  the 
royal  ear.  It  was  an  outrage,  they  said,  for  a 
Portuguese  to  be  put  in  command  of  a  Spanish 
fleet,  and  to  reap  the  honors  due  to  the  faithful 
subjects  of  the  crown.  There  were  many  Span- 
iards, they  declared,  who  were  as  able  and  as 
eager  as  Magellan  to  undertake  the  voyage ;  and 
this  task  should  have  been  confided  to  them. 

These  courtiers  were  not  the  only  enemies 
Magellan  had  to  face.     King  Manuel,  on  hearing 


52  MAGELLAN. 

of  the  success  of  his  discarded  soldier,  became 
very  much  excited,  and  resolved,  if  possible,  to 
stop  the  expedition.  He  began  to  see  that  he 
had  made  a  great  blunder  in  treating  Magellan 
so  rudely,  and  in  haughtily  rejecting  his  offer  of 
service ;  and  feared  lest,  after  all,  the  king  of 
Spain  should  reap  the  benefits  which  he  himself 
might  have  received,  had  he  been  less  obdurate, 
from  Magellan's  zeal  and  genius. 

At  the  Spanish  court  was  a  great  Portuguese 
noble,  named  Alvaro  da  Costa,  who  was  King 
Manuel's  ambassador.  To  him  King  Manuel 
sent  word  to  do  everything  in  his  power  to  pre- 
vent Magellan's  expedition  from  setting  out.  Da 
Costa  was  very  anxious  to  please  his  master,  for 
he  hoped  for  promotion  if  he  served  him  well. 
He  lost  no  time  in  undertaking  the  task  now  im- 
posed upon  him  ;  and  resolved  that,  at  all  hazards, 
Magellan  should  not  sail,  if  he  could  possibly 
help  it. 

The  first  thing  he  did  was  to  appeal  to  King 
Charles,  and  implore  him  to  withdraw  his  prom- 
ises. He  told  the  king  that  if  he  allowed  Magel- 
lan to  go,  he  would  mortally  offend  the  Portu- 
guese monarch.     But  this  did   not   move   King 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE.      $3 

Charles,  who  stood  stoutly  by  his  word  to  Magel- 
lan ;  and  in  this  he  was  encouraged  by  the  good 
bishop  of  Burgos,  who  was  one  of  Magellan's 
warmest  friends. 

Failing  to  persuade  the  king,  Da  Costa  next 
tried  with  all  his  might  to  prevail  on  Magellan 
himself  to  give  up  his  expedition. 

Magellan  had  now  returned  to  Seville,  where 
he  was  busy  making  his  preparations  for  depart- 
ure, and  also  for  his  marriage ;  for  he  was  eager 
to  make  his  dear  Beatrix  his  wife,  before  he 
went. 

One  day,  as  he  was  absorbed  in  packing  some 
baskets  and  boxes  of  provisions  and  clothing  at 
his  lodgings,  he  heard  a  loud  knock  at  his  door, 
and  Sebastian  Alvarez,  King  Manuel's  agent  in 
Seville,  an  old  acquaintance  of  Magellan's,  en- 
tered the  room. 

Magellan  greeted  him  cordially,  and  asked  him 
to  be  seated ;  whereupon  Alvarez  began  to  try 
to  persuade  him  to  give  up  his  expedition. 

"The  road  you  are  going  on,"  he  said,  "has  as 
many  dangers  as  St.  Catherine's  wheel,  and  you 
ought  to  leave  it,  and  take  the  straight  road.  In 
doing  what  you  propose,  you  will  mortally  offend 


54  MAGELLAN. 

your  liege  lord,  King  Manuel,  who  will  set  you 
down  as  a  traitor." 

"  Not  justly,"  was  Magellan's  reply ;  *'  for  I 
hope  by  my  discoveries  to  shed  lustre  on  our 
name,  and  do  honor  to  the  Portuguese  crown.  If 
I  should  go  back  to  Portugal,  there  would  be 
nothing  left  for  me  but  the  seven  ells  of  serge, 
and  the  beads  of  acorns  of  a  hermit." 

**  Nay,  if  you  obey  the  king,  he  will  do  you 
honor;  if  not,  you  must  suffer  his  vengeance." 

But  Magellan  could  not  be  dissuaded  from  his 
purpose;  and  Alvarez  was  forced  to  leave  him  in 
despair,  and  report  his  ill-success  to  King  Manuel. 
Then  da  Costa,  the  ambassador,  concocted  still 
darker  schemes  against  Magellan.  Resolved  to 
prevent  his  departure  at  all  hazards,he  plotted 
to  have  him  killed.  He  secretly  hired  an  assas- 
sin, who  one  night  fell  upon  Magellan  in  one  of 
the  by-streets  of  Seville.  But  the  young  cava- 
lier, though  lame,  proved  more  than  a  match  for 
his  dastardly  assailant.  As  the  latter  was  about  to 
plunge  a  dagger  in  his  breast,  Magellan  whirled 
around,  drew  his  sword  quick  as  a  flash,  and  dealt 
the  fellow  a  frightful  blow  across  the  face,  and 
drove  him,  howling  with  pain,  into  the  darkness. 


An  Attempt  to  Assassinate  Magellan.     Page  54. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE.       55 

Failing  in  this  cowardly  crime,  da  Costa  sent 
his  agents  to  Seville,  to  stir  up  the  common  peo- 
ple against  his  countryman.  They  went  about 
among  the  inns  and  wine-shops,  and  told  the 
Spaniards  they  were  fools  to  submit  to  it  that  a 
foreigner  should  command  a  Spanish  fleet ;  and 
so  excited  them,  that  one  day,  as  Magellan  was 
passing  along  the  street,  he  was  attacked  by  a 
furious  mob.  He  made  hasie  to  enter  the  house 
of  a  friend,  which  fortunately  stood  near  by,  and 
thus  escaped  being  pelted  to  death. 

He  was  so  happy  just  at  this  time,  however, 
that  these  attempts  upon  his  life  were  forgotten 
almost  as  soon  as  they  were  made ;  for  the  day 
rapidly  approached  when  he  would  lead  his  fair 
Beatrix  to  the  altar,  and  claim  her  forever  as  his 
own.  The  preparations  for  this  event  were  car- 
ried forward  in  all  haste  ;  and  for  weeks  the  spa- 
cious mansion  of  Don  Diego  Barbosa,  was  full  of 
bustle  and  excitement. 

It  was  on  a  fresh,  crisp  winter's  day  that  the 
bridal  procession  wended  its  way  to  the  stately 
and  beautiful  cathedral  of  Seville.  There  was 
Magellan,  attended  by  his  own  faithful  friend, 
Faleiro,  and  a  gay  crowd  of  young  nobles  and 


56  MAGELLAN. 

soldiers ;  arrayed  in  his  handsomest  suit  of  vel- 
vet, silk  and  gold  lace,  and  with  a  face  beaming 
with  proud  pleasure.  There  was  the  bride,  in 
her  splendid  wedding  robe,  surrounded  by  a 
sparkling  bevy  of  dark  Spanish  beauties.  There 
was  the  bluff  old  cavalier,  Don  Diego,  in  his  official 
dress  as  mayor  of  the  city,  looking  delighted  and 
happy.  And  there,  at  the  high  altar,  stood  the 
bishop  of  Seville,  in  cope  and  mitre,  ready  to 
perform  the  solemn  rites  which  should  make  the 
happy  couple  one. 

The  arches  of  the  great  cathedral  resounded 
with  the  organ  and  the  sacred  chant ;  bride  and 
bridegroom  approached,  and  knelt  at  the  altar; 
the  momentous  words  were  slowly  spoken  by 
the  bishop;  and  then  Magellan,  with  head  erect, 
and  a  flush  upon  his  cheek,  advanced  down  the 
nave,  with  his  blooming  bride  upon  his  arm.  Alas  ! 
Neither  knew  how  brief  would  be  their  married 
life,  or  that  it  would  end  with  their  happy 
honeymoon  ! 

It  was  during  this  brief  season  of  his  honey- 
moon that  Magellan  tore  himself  away  from  the 
sweet  companionship  of  Beatrix,  to  watch  the 
preparations  for  his  departure.     One  by  one  the 


PREPARATIONS    FOR    THE    VOYAGE  ^'J 

good  ships  which  were  to  sail  under  his  command 
appeared  in  the  harbor  of  Seville ;  one  and  all 
either  newly  built  or  newly  repaired,  with  sturdy 
masts  and  unsoiled  sails,  and  bedecked  with  fresh 
paint  from  stem  to  stern. 

First,  there  was  the  *'  Trinidad,"  a  small  ship, 
indeed,  compared  with  those  which  we  see  to-day, 
for  it  was  only  of  one  hundred  tons  burden,  but  in 
that  time  a  good-sized  craft,  well  able,  it  seemed, 
to  breast  the  storms  and  wild  winds  of  the  Atlan- 
tic. This  was  the  flag-ship,  in  which  Magellan 
himself  was  to  go. 

Then  there  were  the  **  San  Antonio  "  and  the 
"Conception,"  smaller  vessels,  of  eighty  tons 
burden  each,  commanded,  the  first  by  Juan  de 
Cartagena,  a  Spanish  captain  with  whom  Magel- 
lan was  destined  later  to  have  much  trouble ; 
and  the  other  by  Caspar  de  Quegada.  There 
were  finally  the  **  Victoria,"  and  "  Santiago,"  of 
sixty  tons  each,  commanded  by  Luis  de  Mendoza 
and  Juan  Serrano,  a  relation  of  that  friend  of 
Magellan  who  had  told  him  such  exciting  stories 
about  the  Molucca  islands,  which  he  was  now 
going  to  try  to  find. 

These   ships  were   all  quickly  provided    with 


58  MAGELLAN. 

everything  required  for  a  long  voyage.  The 
"Trinidad"  carried  four  large  iron  cannon;  and 
in  all,  there  were  eighty  cannon  on  the  five  ves- 
sels. Ample  provisions  were  packed  in  the 
holds,  and  an  abundance  of  such  clothing  as  the 
officers  and  crews  would  need  for  an  uncertain 
period,  was  supplied. 

Inasmuch  as  Magellan  was  going  among  sav- 
age tribes,  who  were  pleased  with  gewgaws  and 
bright-colored  clothing,  a  part  of  the  cargoes  of 
the  ships  was  composed  of  copper,  quicksilver, 
colored  clotns,  and  handsome  silks,  jackets  orna- 
mented with  copper  and  silver  buttons,  and  a 
great  variety  o/  bells,  bracelets,  rings,  and  other 
trinkets. 

Magellan,  while  thus  supervising  the  prepara- 
tions of  his  expedition,  did  not  neglect  one  im- 
portant task;  that  of  studying  the  art  of  naviga- 
tion. This  was  not,  it  is  true,  a  wholly  new  study 
for  him.  His  boyish  fondness  for  ships  and 
voyages  had  interested  him  in  the  art  of 
managing  vessels,  and  in  the  uses  of  the  astrolabe 
and  other  nautical  instruments.  From  the  conver- 
sations he  had  had  with  Vasco  da  Gama,  and  other 
heroes  of  the  ocean,  he  had  derived  much  precious 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE.      59 

knowledge  ;  and  his  voyage  to  India  and  back 
had  enabled  him  to  observe  closely  the  practical 
working  of  a  ship. 

In  the  long  winter  evenings,  when  he  had 
returned  from  inspecting  the  progress  made  in 
his  fleet,  you  might  have  seen  him  seated  before 
a  blazing  fire  in  Don  Diego's  library — for  Don 
Diego  was  a  man  of  learning,  and  had  many  valu- 
able books,  for  which  he  had  paid  great  prices — ■ 
with  heavy  tomes  upon  his  knee,  deep  in  their 
contents  ;  or  bending  over  a  long  table,  where  he 
had  spread  out  some  rude  chart  of  the  Atlantic 
or  of  the  American  coast,  which  had  been  drawn 
by  an  earlier  navigator. 

By  his  side,  deeply  absorbed  in  his  pursuit,  sat 
his  fair  young  wife  ;  her  face  now  sad  with  the 
thought  of  separating  from  him ;  now  lit  up 
with  tender  pride,  as  she  reflected  what  fame  and 
wealth  his  genius  might  win  from  the  voyage. 

Thus  usefully  and  pleasantly  were  spent  the 
months  that  intervened  between  his  marriage  and 
the  time  for  him  to  set  out  on  his  daring  venture. 

At  last  that  exciting  moment  came.  The 
ships  were  all  ready,  moored  side  by  side  along 
the  quays  of  Seville.    The  sailors,  some  of  whom 


6o  MAGELLAN. 

were  Portuguese  and  some  Spanish,  were  gathered 
in  the  city,  and  had,  for  the  most  part,  taken  up 
their  quarters  on  board  the  vessels  ;  and  they 
were  one  and  all  impatient  to  sail.  The  captains 
and  pilots  were  on  board,  as  anxious  as  the 
sailors  to  depart. 

It  was  on  a  soft  August  morning,  in  15 19,  that 
Magellan  rose,  attired  himself  in  his  admiral's 
uniform,  and  lingered  for  awhile,locked  in  his  wife's 
close  embrace.  He  needed  all  his  self-restraint 
to  remain  composed,  and  to  utter  every  tender 
and  consoling  word  that  he  could  think  of,  to 
soften  her  sorrow  at  the  parting.  Then,  gently 
withdrawing  himself  from  her  clinging  arms,  he 
gave  her  a  last,  long,  loving  look,  and  slowly 
passed  into  the  street.  There  his  attendants 
awaited  him — his  servants,  and  some  of  the  sail- 
ors from  the  flag-ship.  Don  Diego  was  there, 
too,  ready  to  accompany  his  son-in-law  to  the 
quays;  and  Don  Diego's  young  son,  Edward 
Barbosa,  who  was  to  go  with  Magellan  and 
share  his  perils,  was  by  his  father's  side.  They 
mounted  their  horses  and  slowly  rode  through 
the  streets. 

Every  thoroughfare  was  crowded.     It  was  aU 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  VOYAGE.      6l 

ways  a  holiday  with  the  gay  and  pleasure-loving 
Sevillians,  when  a  great  expedition  was  to  set  sail 
from  their  port  on  a  voyage  of  discovery;  and 
they  had  long  known  of  Magellan's  hardy  pro- 
ject. There  was  now  no  trace  of  the  miserable 
jealousy  which  had  stirred  a  mob  to  assail  him, 
but  one  and  all,  by  their  faces  and  cheers,  seemed 
anxious  to  give  him  a  hearty  "  God-speed." 

Arrived  at  the  quays,  Magellan  descended 
from  his  horse,  embraced  Don  Diego  and  the 
other  friends  who  had  gathered  to  bid  him  adieu, 
and  attended  by  Edward  Barbosa,  his  officers 
and  sailors,  went  on  board  the  flag-ship  and 
ascended  to  the  deck.  At  the  same  time,  the 
other  captains  appeared  on  their  decks,  and  the 
crews  began  to  weigh  anchor  and  spread  the 
white  new  sails. 

It  was  a  noble  sight  to  see  the  five  comely 
ships,  almost  side  by  side,  slowly  creep  out  of 
the  lovely  harbor;  the  sun  flashing  on  the  flags 
and  pennons  that  floaied  from  the  masts,  and 
making  the  new  paint  on  the  ships' sides  glitter; 
a  gentle  breeze  just  ruffling  the  blue  waves,  and 
stirring  them  from  a  glassy  calm ;  the  quays 
alive  with  the  chattering,  noisy,  and  picturesquely 


62  MAGELLAN. 

attired  crowd ;  the  cannon  pealing  forth  their 
deafening  salvos  from  ship  and  shore  ;  the  cap. 
tains  erect  on  their  decks,  waving  their  plumed 
hats,  and  every  now  and  then  turning  to  shout 
their  orders  to  their  subalterns  ;  and  the  lofty- 
towers  of  cathedral  and  palace  growing  more 
and  more  dim  and  fairy-like  as  the  little  fleet 
floated  away  from  the  mole,  and  sped  cheerily 
out  upon  the  broad  sweep  of  the  river  that 
flowed  to  the  Atlantic ! 

Soon  the  eyes  of  the  people  on  the  quays  were 
vainly  strained  seaward,  and  the  eyes  of  those 
on  the  ships  gazed  without  avail  in  the  direction 
that  the  city  stood. 

Magellan  was  fairly  off  at  last.  What  adven- 
tures would  he  meet  with  ;  what  wonderful  things 
would  he  discover  on  the  surging  deep? 


MAGELLAN. 


63 


CHAPTER  V. 

MAGELLAN    CROSSES   THE    ATLANTIC. 


OME  time  elapsed,  after  sailing  from  Sev- 
ille, before  Magellan  put  out  into  the 
open  sea.  After  passing  down  the  Guad- 
alquivir, and  narrowly  escaping  being  stranded  on 
two  ruined  pillars,  which  were  in  the  bottom  of 
the  river,  and  had  once  supported  a  fine  bridge 
built  by  the  Moors,  the  ships  reached  the  hoary 
old  castle  of  St.  Lucar,  that  lifted  its  towers  high 
above  the  stream. 

This  castle  belonged  to  the  Duke  of  Medina 
Sidonia,  one  of  the  greatest  nobles  in  Spain  ;  and 
just  below  it  was  a  good  port,  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  whence  vessels  could  readily  sail  out 
upon  the  ocean. 

Finding,  when  he  reached  this  port,  that  the 
winds  were  contrary,  and  being  in  no  hurry,  Ma- 


64  MAGELLAN. 

gellan  anchored,  and  awaited  more  favorable 
breezes.  The  interval  was  employed  in  adding 
to  the  ships'  stores  some  necessaries  that  had 
been  overlooked,  and  in  religious  exercises.  Ma- 
gellan caused  all  his  sailors  to  go  ashore,  at- 
tend mass,  and  make  confession  before  their  de- 
parture; and  he  himself  set  the  example. 

One  day,  Magellan  summoned  all  his  captains 
and  officers  on  board  the  flag-ship,  and  told  them 
the  rules  by  which  he  wished  the  fleet  to  be 
guided. 

"  First,"  he  said,  "  my  flag-ship  shall  sail  ahead, 
and  the  other  ships  follow ;  and  that  you  may  not 
lose  sight  of  me  at  night,  I  will  cause  a  burning 
torch  to.  be  set  upon  the  poop-deck,  which  shall 
be  kept  burning  as  long  as  it  is  dark.  When  I 
wish  to  tack,  the  wind  being  contrary,  or  to  make 
less  way,  I  will  show  two  lights.  I  have  on  board, 
you  know,  some  torches  made  of  reeds,  well 
soaked  in  water,  beaten  flat,  and  dried  in  the 
sun  ;  these  will  burn  brightly.  When  I  wish  you 
to  lower  your  small  sail,  I  will  burn  three  lights; 
and  if  I  suddenly  put  out  two  of  these,  and  leave 
a  single  light  burning,  you  may  know  that  you 
are  to  stop  and  turn.     Should  I  espy  any  land  or 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE    ATLANTIC.  6$ 

shoal  ahead,  I  will  cause  a  bombard  to  be  fired 
off;  and  if  I  desire  to  make  all  sail,  I  will  show 
four  lights.  Your  answering  signals  will  be  simi- 
lar lights,  displayed  in  response  to  mine.  As  to 
watches,  you  will  cause  three  to  be  kept  at  night ; 
one  at  dusk,  a  second  at  midnight,  and  the  third 
at  break  of  day ;  and  you  must  change  the 
watches  every  night.  Now,  observe  well  these 
rules ;  that  you  may  not  forget  them,  here  they 
are  in  writing,  a  copy  for  each  of  you." 

At  last,  to  Magellan's  great  relief,  the  wind 
shifted,  and  blew  from  the  right  quarter;  and 
on  the  20th  of  September,  15 19,  the  little  fleet 
set  forth  from  the  harbor  of  St.  Lucar,  and 
was  soon  buffeting  the  waves  of  the  At* 
lantic. 

Magellan  directed  his  course  northwesterly. 
He  knew  that  in  order  to  pass,  as  he  felt  confi-' 
dent  it  was  possible  for  him  to  do,  around  the 
South  American  continent,  he  must  steer  more 
to  the  south  than  had  the  previous  expeditions. 
Already  a  Spanish  expedition  had  reached  the 
fortieth  degree  of  latitude  south,  on  what  is  now 
the  coast  of  Brazil ;  and  thrilling  news  had  come 
of  Balboa's  discovery  of  a  farther  Ocean.     That 


66  MAGELLAN. 

a  great  ocean  lay  beyond  the  newly-found  conti- 
tinent,  was  therefore  certain  ;  and  if  that  could 
be  gained  by  doubling  the  land,  there  should  be 
no  doubt  that  the  Molucca  Islands,  with  all 
their  bounteous  wealth,  could  be  reached  ;  and 
perhaps  the  globe  itself  might  be  encompassed 
by  the  doughty  little  fleet. 

It  did  not  take  the  ships  long  to  reach  the 
Canary  Islands,  grouped  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  off 
the  African  coast ,  and  already  occupied  by  lit- 
tle European  settlements.  They  anchored  at 
Teneriffe,  one  of  these  islands,  and  took  in  wood 
and  water;  and,  soon  after,  stopped  at  another 
island,  where  they  supplied  themselves  with  an 
abundance  of  pitch. 

On  this  island,  Magellan  was  surprised  to  hear 
of  a  curious  freak  of  nature,  which,  it  was  said, 
always  took  place  there.  He  was  told  that  every 
day  at  mid-day,  a  cloud  came  down  from  the  sky, 
and  enveloped  a  large  tree :  the  rain  fell  from  it 
on  the  leaves  of  this  tree,  and  water  was  distilled 
from  it,  and  formed  a  sort  of  fountain  at  the  foot 
of  the  tree.  This,  he  was  assured,  was  the  only 
supply  of  water  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
island,  man  or  beast,  had. 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES     THE    ATLANTIC.  67 

The  fleet  again  set  sail,  and  in  no  long  time 
reached  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  not  far  from  the 
Canaries,  in  a  southwesterly  direction.  These 
were  the  last  land  that  the  adventurers  were  to 
stand  upon  until  they  sighted  the  long,  dim 
coast  of  the  New  World  ;  but  so  eager  were  one 
and  all  to  strike  across  the  ocean,  and  to  see 
what  was  to  be  seen  beyond,  that  Magellan  made 
but  a  brief  stay  at  the  Cape  Verdes.  For  some 
time  they  skirted  the  coast  of  Guinea,  and  saw 
the  majestic  group  of  the  Sierra  Leone  in  the 
hazy  distance ;  and  as  they  approached  the 
equinoctial  line,  they  began  to  be  assailed  by 
fierce  gales  and  blinding  rain-storms. 

Bwt  they  kept  steadily  on  their  way,  Magel- 
lan's flag-ship,  with  its  ever-glimmering  lantern 
swinging  on  the  poop-deck,  and  lighting  up  the 
billows,  taking  the  lead  ;  and  at  last  found  them- 
selves quite  out  of  sight  of  land. 

As  the  ships  rode  through  storm  and  sunshine, 
the  voyagers  observed  many  wonderful  things, 
new  to  their  astonished  eyes.  Often  they  were 
becalmed,  and  lazily  floated  hither  and  thither 
on  the  waves,  waiting  for  the  return  of  favorable 
breezes  ;  and  during  these  calms,  they  saw  with 


68 


MAGELLAN. 


amazement  many  monsters  of  the  deep,  of  whose 
existence  they  had  been  utterly  ignorant. 

Sometimes  great  sharks,  with  long  teeth 
and  awful  jaws,  followed  the  ships  for  leagues 
and  for  days ;  and  as  soon  as  the  sailors  recov- 
ered from  their  surprise,  they  began  to  catch 
them — which  was  no  difficult  matter — with  huge 
iron  hooks,  baited  with  pieces  of  colored  cloth. 
When  they  had  caught  their  first  shark,  they  tried 
to  eat  him  ;  but  found  his  flesh  anything  but  a 
savory  morsel. 

They  saw,  too,  many  curious  birds,  such  as 
they  had  never  before  known  of ;  and  observed 
in  one  kind,  that  the  females  laid  their 
eggs  on  the  backs  of  the  males.  On  one  occa- 
sion, Magellan  espied  so  large  a  number  of  flying 
fish,  that  they  seemed  to  him  to  form  an  island 
in  the  sea. 

Men  in  those  days,  even  the  wisest,  were 
all  superstitious,  and  believed  in  miracles,  and 
strange  appearances  ;  and  on  voyages,  often  im- 
agined that  they  saw  spirits,  and  were  guided  by 
spiritual  agencies. 

One  dark  night,  when  a  storm  of  wind  and 
rain  was  tossing  the  little  fleet  franctically  to  and 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE    ATLANTIC.  69 

fro,  and  rolling  the  waves  high  above  the  decks, 
and  the  sailors  were  moaning  and  praying,  fear- 
ing that  every  instant  would  be  their  last,  they 
thought  that  the  spirit  of  Saint  Anselm  appeared 
to  them,  in  the  form  of  a  dazzling  light  at  the 
masthead;  that  he  stayed  there  to  comfort,  and 
cheer,  and  give  them  courage,  for  several  hours  ; 
and  that  when  the  spirit  was  about  to  depart, 
the  light  increased  to  such  brilliancy  as  fairly  to 
blind  them. 

No  sooner  had  the  spirit,  as  they  believed  it  to 
be,  departed,  than  the  waves  subsided,  the  wind 
fell  to  a  gentle  breeze,  and  the  sea-birds  began  to 
gambol  gaily  among  the  sails. 

It  took  Magellan  and  his  companions  a  little 
more  than  two  months  to  cross  the  Atlantic. 
Happily  he  had  charts  which  enabled  him  to  sail 
in  the  direction  he  desired,  and  which  indicated 
the  points  at  which  he  wished  to  arrive. 

One  morning  in  mid-December,  the  eyes  of  the 
voyagers  were  greeted  with  the  sight  of  the  long 
line  of  gray  coast,  which  they  had  strained  their 
eyes  for  many  a  day  to  espy.  Thanks  to  Magel- 
lan's plan  of  showing  lights,  the  ships  had  kept 
steadily  together  from   first  to  last;    and   they 


70  MAGELLAN. 

n6w  rode  side-by-side,  rapidly  drawing  near  to 
the  new  continent. 

When  Magellan  came  near  enough  to  distin- 
guish the  features  of  the  coast,  and  the  appear- 
ance of  the  country  beyond,  he  looked  about  for 
a  convenient  harbor  towards  which  to  steer.  It 
was  fortunate  that  the  coast  itself  did  not  present 
to  his  eye  any  very  formidable  difficulties ;  in- 
stead of  being  rocky  and  forbidding,  it  looked 
fair,  sloping,  and  hospitable. 

Running  along  about  a  league  from  the  shore, 
parallel  with  it,  he  finally  discovered  a  wide  inlet, 
which  seemed  to  be  the  mouth  of  a  river.  Here 
he  resolved  to  put  in  ;  although,  notwithstanding 
his  charts,  he  was  not  quite  certain  where  he  was. 

At  first  the  region  seemed  to  be  deserted. 
The  ships  entered  the  wide  inlet  and  anchored ; 
and  the  sailors,  crowding  into  the  boats,  pulled 
ashore,  and  leaped  joyfully  upon  the  strand.  It 
was  a  hot  day,  but  they  were  so  glad  to  find  them- 
selves on  land  again,  that  they  paid  little  atten- 
tion to  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun,  which  blazed 
down  on  their  heads  from  his  zenith. 

Then  Magellan  assembled  all  his  officers  and 
crews  on  the  shore,  and  the   priests,  who   were 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE    ATLANTIC.  *J\ 

with  them,  set  up  a  little  altar  on  the  beach. 
The  men  kneeled  in  a  close  body  in  front  of  the 
altars,  the  captains  kneeling  in  front;  and  now, 
in  this  strange  solitude,  where  all  nature  seemed 
to  be  in  slumber,  and  where  no  vestige  of  any- 
human  habitation  was  yet  visible,  the  solemn  ser- 
vice of  the  mass  was  performed. 

Magellan  and  his  companions  soon  found  that 
plenty  of  people  dwelt  on  the  shore  they  had 
reached,  although  these  did  not  at  first  make 
their  appearance.  One  of  the  pilots,  named 
John  Carvagio,  had  been  in  Brazil  before,  having 
gone  with  a  previous  expedition  ;  and  he  relieved 
the  anxiety  of  his  comrades  by  assuring  them 
that  the  natives  were  peaceable  and  friendly,  at 
least  to  Europeans,  whom  they  regarded  as- 
superior  beings. 

It  was  not  long  before  little  groups  of  almost 
naked  men  and  women  began  to  make  their  ap- 
pearance a  little  distance  away,  gazing  curi- 
ously and  timidly  at  the  white  men,  and  appar- 
ently afraid  to  approach  nearer  until  they  were 
reassured  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  new-comers. 
The  pilot  Carvagio,  who  happily  knew  a  few 
words  of  their  language,  at  once  went  forward 


72  MAGELLAN. 

towards  the  nearest  of  these  groups,  and  shouted 
out  to  them  that  they  need  fear  nothing,  for  the 
Spaniards  and  Portuguese  meant  no  harm,  but 
were  come  as  friends. 

Upon  this  the  natives  drew  nearer,  and  at  last 
came  up  to  the  strangers,  nodding  and  grinning, 
and  chattering  as  fast  as  they  could  make  their 
tongues  go.  At  this  moment,  a  warm,  soft, 
pleasant  rain  began  to  fall,  which  was  exceed- 
ingly welcome  and  refreshing  on  account  of  the 
heat. 

No  sooner  had  the  savages  perceived  the  rain, 
than  they  commenced  playing  all  sorts  of  strange 
pranks,  which  filled  the  Europeans  with  astonish- 
ment. They  capered  wildly  about,  and  lifted  up 
their  hands  towards  the  clouds,  holding  their 
swarthy  faces  so  that  the  drops  should  fall  upon 
and  run  down  them ;  sang  a  loud,  discordant 
song,  and  finally,  rushing  forward,  fell  on  their 
knees  at  the  feet  of  the  strangers,  and  began  to 
repeat  some  words  very  fast,  at  the  same  time 
stretching  their  arms  out,  and  clasping  their  hands. 

Magellan  asked  the  pilot  what  they  meant  by 
these  capers;  and  Carvagio  replied: 

*'  They  say  that  we  have  come  from  heaven, 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE    ATLANTIC.  73 

bringing  the  blessed  rain  with  us  ;  that  it  has  been 
many  weeks  since  it  has  rained  in  these  parts, 
and  that  they  worship  us  for  causing  it  to  fall." 

It  was  fortunate  that,  at  the  beginning  of  their 
sojourn,  the  adventurers  should  have  created  so 
favorable  an  impression  ;  for  now  the  natives  set 
to  work  with  a  will,  and  built  a  long,  low  hut 
wherein  their  visitors  might  dwell  and  be  sheltered 
as  long  as  they  remained.  They  brought  them 
some  pigs,  which  the  sailors  forthwith  roasted  and 
ate  with  great  gusto.  The  pig's  flesh  was  very  re- 
freshing after  the  salt  meat  and  hard-tack  with 
which  they  had  been  forced  to  content  them- 
selves during  their  long  and  weary  voyage.  The 
natives  also  laid  before  them  some  very  curious 
bread,  which  proved,  on  being  eaten,  not  nearly 
so  nice  as  the  pigs.  It  was  made  of  the  marrow 
of  certain  trees,  and  tasted  something  like  very 
poor  cheese. 

Magellan  found  himself  so  hospitably  treated 
on  this  coast,  that  he  was  in  no  great  hurry  to 
set  sail  again.  The  ships  needed  some  repairs, 
and  it  was  prudent  to  procure  and  store  such 
provisions  as  could  be  found  in  the  i^kinity,  and 
preserved  for  a  voyage. 


74  MAGELLAN. 

While  the  repairs  were  being  made,  and  the 
provisions  stored,  Magellan  and  his  officers  had 
leisure  to  look  around  them.  They  observed  the 
natives  with  great  curiosity.  These  lived  in  very 
long,  low  huts,  as  many  as  a  hundred,  sometimes, 
occupying  a  single  hut.  The  natives  did  not 
possess  any  iron  implements,  but  built  both  their 
houses  and  their  boats  with  tools  made  of  stones. 
In  their  dwellings,  which  Magellan  found  him- 
self quite  free  to  enter  whenever  he  pleased,  he 
saw  that  the  beds  were  a  sort  of  cotton  ham- 
mocks, fastened  to  large  timbers,  and  extending 
across  the  wide  room;  and  he  was  amused  to 
observe  that  the  natives  built  their  fires,  to  warm 
themselves,  directly  under  these  hammocks. 

Their  boats  they  built  all  in  one  piece,  out  of 
a  single  tree,  and  called  them  "canoes;"  these 
boats  were  large  enough  to  hold  thirty  or  forty 
men,  and  were  provided  with  oars  shaped  like 
shovels. 

As  for  the  natives  themselves,  they  were  not 
bad-looking  people  for  savages.  They  were  of  a 
brown  color,  with  almost  straight  hair;  many 
of  the  women  were  almost  fair,  and  quite 
comely.     The  men  did  not  wear  any  beards;  for 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE  ATLANTIC.  75 

these,  it  seemed,  they  were  wont  to  pluck  out, 
hair  by  hair.  Both  men  and  women  went  nearly 
naked,  having  for  apparel  only  a  belt  made  of 
parrot's  feathers  about  their  waists.  It  was  a 
very  common  thing  to  see  a  man  with  three  holes 
in  his  under  lip,  from  which  hung  small  round 
pebbles ;  and  some  of  the  women  displayed  the 
same  strange  ornament.  Many  of  the  natives, 
too,  were  branded  in  the  face  with  curious  fig- 
ures, impressed  in  the  flesh  by  means  of  fire. 

When  the  men  went  to  their  work,  their  wives 
carried  them  luncheons  in  small  baskets,which  they 
poised  on  their  heads ;  while  in  bags,  fastened  to 
their  necks,  they  supported  their  babies.  The 
men  had,  as  weapons,  long  bows  made  of  the  black 
palm,  and  quivers  full  of  arrows,  made  of  cane, 
were  hung  across  their  shoulders. 

One  thing  that  surprised  Magellan  and  his 
comrades,  was  the  great  number  of  parrots  that 
were  to  be  seen  in  that  region.  These  were 
of  all  sizes,  and  their  plumage  was  of  the  most 
variegated  and  gorgeous  description.  They  also 
observed  many  small  monkeys,  yellow  in  color, 
and  extremely  amusing  in  their  quick  and  lively 
ways  ;  and  there  were  also  some  strange-looking 


7^  MAGELLAN. 

birds,  which  had  beaks  like  a  spoon,  and  no 
tongues. 

As  to  the  natural  productions,  they  were  very- 
various  and  abundant.  The  fruit  was  large  and 
luscious,  and  the  grain  rich  and  plentiful. 

Magellan  was  sorry  to  make  one  discovery 
during  his  stay  in  this  place,  which  greatly  les- 
sened his  good  opinion  of  the  natives.  On  one 
occasion,  after  they  had  been  having  a  fight  with 
a  neighboring  tribe,  they  brought  in  several  men 
and  women,  whom  they  had  taken  prisoners,  and 
proceeded  to  kill  them  and  cut  them  up.  Soon 
after  Magellan  found  these  pieces  of  human 
flesh  hung  up  at  the  chimney  of  one  of  the  huts, 
and  being  dried  by  the  fire.  On  asking  what 
this  meant,  he  was  told  that  the  pieces  were 
dried  to  be  eaten.  He  thus  found  that  his 
savage  friends  were  cannibals. 

An  amusing  incident  happened  on  the  flag- 
ship, a  few  days  before  the  departure  of  the 
fleet.  The  natives  had  become  so  familiar  that 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  going  freely  on  board 
the  ships,  and  doing  there  pretty  much  as  they 
liked.  One  day,  a  beautiful  young  girl,  about 
seventeen,  went  on  board  the  "  Trinidad,"  and 


MAGELLAN    CROSSES    THE    ATLANTIC.  JJ 

was  observed  by  Magellan  to  be  peering  cau- 
tiously about,  and  trying  to  escape  being  noticed. 
Curious  to  know  what  she  was  about,  he  watched 
her;  and  presently  saw  her  creep  up  to  a  nail, 
two  or  three  inches  long,  that  was  driven  into 
the  door  of  his  cabin.  She  seized  it,  pulled  it 
out,  and  in  a  flash  hid  it  in  her  long,  abundant 
hair.  As  she  was  without  any  other  clothing 
than  the  belt  of  parrot's  feathers,  her  hair  was  her 
only  place  of  concealment.  Magellan  laughed 
heartily  to  himself,  and  let  her  go  away  thinking 
she  had  not  been  seen  committing  this  little 
theft.  Her  anxiety  to  possess  herself  of  the  nail 
is  explained  by  the  great  value  the  natives  set  on 
iron,  which  seemed  much  more  precious  to  them 
than  gold  or  silver. 


78  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MUTINY. 

AVING  taken  a  long  rest  from  his  At, 
lantic  voyage,  and  provided  his  ships  with 
all  things  necessary,  Magellan  again  set 
sail,  skirting  the  South  American  coast,  and 
keeping  a  keen  look-out  for  any  inlet  that  might 
betoken  a  passage  around  the  continent.  He  was 
resolved  to  search  the  coast  narrowly,  so  that 
no  such  passage,  if  it  existed,  should  escape 
him ;  and  he  therefore  put  in  wherever  a  bay  or 
river  mouth  appeared.  After  sailing  for  some  days 
amid  a  warm  and  equable  temperature,  the  fleet 
came  to  a  wide  inlet,  which  proved  to  be  the 
mouth  of  a  large  river,  some  fifty  miles  wide 
where  it  entered  the  sea.  This  was  what  we 
now  call  the  River  de  la  Plata,  upon  whose 
banks  stand,  not  far  from  the  mouth,  the  flourish- 
ing cities  of  Buenos  Ayres  and  Monte  Video 


THE    MUTINY.  79 

The  ships  readily  anchored  in  the  river  mouth, 
and  once  more  the  adventurers  landed  upon  the 
unfamiliar  coast.  Scarcely  had  they  done  so,  be- 
fore they  perceived  that  they  were  in  the  midst 
of  a  very  different  race  from  that  they  had  en- 
'  countered  at  their  first  landing-place.  These 
savages  were  outright  cannibals,  and  made  daily 
meals  upon  their  captured  enemies.  They  were, 
moreover,  exceedingly  tall,  strongly-built  men, 
who  seemed  to  the  Spaniards  no  less  than  giants. 

One  of  these  men,  evidently  a  chief,  taller  even 
than  his  companions,  went  fearlessly  on  board 
the  flag-ship ;  but  while  he  was  there,  the  other 
natives  took  everything  they  could  carry  from 
their  huts,  and  hurried  away  over  the  hills. 
Magellan  ordered  a  hundred  of  his  men  to  land 
and  pursue  them ;  but  the  natives  were  so  agile, 
and  took  such  enormous  strides,  that  the  pur- 
suit was  in  vain. 

On  the  pretty  islands  that  studded  the  bay 
Magellan  found  some  precious  stones,  which 
he  took  good  care  to  store  away,  at  the  same 
time  resolving  on  his  return  to  search  for 
more. 

Setting  sail  again,  the  ships  presently  came  to 


80  MAGELLAN. 

two  islands,  just  off  the  coast,  where  the  crew3 
went  ashore,  to  procure  some  wild  fowl  which 
they  saw  on  the  strand.  They  were  much  aston- 
ished at  some  black  geese  they  found,  with  beaks 
like  crows,  and  which  could  not  fly.  They  also 
succeeded  in  capturing  many  seals,  which  were 
not  less  strange  to  them,  in  color  and  shape, 
than  the  geese.  During  their  stay  at  these 
islands,  the  ships  were  nearly  destroyed  by  a 
mighty  storm  that  swept  over  them;  but  they 
were  stout  and  well-manned,  and  succeeded  in 
weathering  it. 

After  passing  the  Gulf  of  St.  Mathias,  and 
the  bay  of  St.  George,  they  reached  a  point 
which  from  the  multitude  of  geese  seen  on  the 
shore,  Magellan  named  "Goose  Harbor."  No- 
where, as  yet,  had  the  gallant  Admiral  found  a 
passage  to  the  Pacific  ;  but  his  courage  and  hope- 
fulness were  unabated,  and  he  pressed  vigorously 
on  to  the  goal  he  was  confident  that,  sooner 
or  later,  he  should  reach.  He  had  now  at  least 
gone  further  south  than  any  previous  expedition 
had  sailed  ;  he  was  nearer  the  Antarctic  pole 
than  any  European  had  been;  and  there  was 
every  reason  for  him  to  look  forward  cheerily  to 


THE    MUTINY.  8l 

the  accomplishment  of  the  great  end  he  had  in 
view. 

The  southern  winter,  cold  and  blustering,  had 
fairly  set  in,  when  one  morning  Magellan  espied 
a  large  inviting  bay,  which  seemed  well  sheltered 
from  the  bleak  winds,  and  the  shores  of  which 
had  the  appearance  of  affording  a  good  supply  of 
wood  and  water.  Of  these  the  ships  were  now  sadly 
in  want,  for  little  had  been  found  at  Goose  Har- 
bor, their  last  stopping-place.  Moreover,  the 
ships  needed  many  repairs;  nor  could  Magellan 
hope  to  pursue  his  voyage  successfully  for  some 
months  to  come.  The  crews  were  grumbling  at 
hardships  they  were  forced  to  suffer ;  and  more 
than  one  of  Magellan's  captains  betrayed  open 
signs  of  discontent. 

The  admiral  therefore  deemed  it  best  to  put 
in  at  the  pleasant-looking  bay,  and  if  it  proved 
as  comfortable  as  it  looked,  to  stay  there  until 
fairer  winds  blew,  and  the  return  of  spring 
brought  a  softer  temperature. 

The  ships  anchored  in  the  bay,  which  Magel- 
lan, with  the  piety  of  his  age  and  bringing-up, 
named  St.  Julian.  It  turned  out  an  easy  matter  to 
land  upon  the  sloping  and  still  smiling  shore, 


82  MAGELLAN. 

for  winter  was  but  fairly  begun  ;  and  the  crews 
set  to  work  to  make  themselves  as  snug  as 
possible. 

Scarcely,  however,  had  the  fleet  reached  what 
seemed  so  secure  a  haven  for  their  winter  sojourn 
when  an  event  occurred  which  at  first  threat- 
ened, not  only  the  success  of  the  expedition, 
but  the  very  lives  of  Magellan  and  his  friends. 

Of  the  captains  commanding  the  ships  in 
Magellan's  fleet,  three  were  Spaniards — Juan  de 
Cartagena,  Caspar  de  Quesada,  and  Louis  de 
Mendoza.  Cartagena  and  Mendoza  had  been 
jealous,  from  the  first,  of  the  preference  given 
by  their  king  to  Magellan,  a  Portuguese  aiid  a 
stranger,  in  putting  him  at  the  head  of  the  ex- 
pedition; and  throughout  the  voyage  had  in 
various  ways  betrayed  their  ill-temper  and  dis- 
content. Of  the  two,  Juan  de  Cartagena,  who 
was  the  second  officer  of  the  fleet,  and  com- 
manded the  "  San  Antonio,"  nourished  the  fiercest 
hatred  of  Magellan.  He  was  a  large,  dark- 
featured  man,  with  a  sour,  malignant  countenance, 
and  he  cherished  the  fixed  idea  that  he,  and  not 
Magellan,  should  have  been  Admiral.  From  the 
first,  he  resolved  on  the  earliest  opportunity  tg 


THE  MUTINY.  83 

raise  the  standard  of  revolt.  Finding  that  Men- 
doza  shared  his  ill-will  towards  Magellan,  and  was 
ready  to  enter  into  a  plot  against  him,  Cartagena 
held  frequent  conferences  with  Mendoza,  when 
Magellan  was  engaged  in  other  matters.  While 
scouring  the  country  around  St.  Julian,  in  the  early 
days  of  their  stay  there,  the  treacherous  captains 
found  many  occasions  to  meet  and  mature  their 
project.  They  felt  sure  of  being  able  to  secure  the 
assistance  of  the  sailors  under  their  commands ;  for 
most  of  these  were  Spaniards  like  themselves, 
imbued  with  a  fierce  jealousy  of  the  Portu- 
guese ;  and  besides,  the  sailors  had  become  very 
much  discontented  by  their  many  hardships,  and 
by  the  long  delays  in  the  voyage. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  plot  was  ripe  for 
execution.  Cartagena  and  Mendoza  revealed 
it  to  the  Spanish  sailors  on  their  ships,  who 
readily  agreed  to  aid  in  carrying  it  out.  The 
first  object  was  to  secure  Quesada,  the  captain  of 
the  "  Conception,"  who,  though  a  Spaniard,  was 
suspected  of  being  a  staunch  friend  to  Magellan. 
His  ship  lay  next  to  the  "  San  Antonio,"  which 
Cartagena  commanded.  Cartagena  now  resolved 
to  man  one  of  his  boats  with  twenty  men,  fully 


84  MAGELLAN. 

armed,  and  to  take  advantage  of  a  dark  night  to 
board  the  *'  Conception,"  seize  Quesada,  engage 
his  sailors  to  take  part  in  the  mutiny,  and  with 
this  accession  of  force  to  assault  the  flag-ship,  the 
^'Trinidad,"  itself.  Magellan  was  then  to  be  seized 
and  killed  on  the  spot ;  the  other  ship,  the  "  San. 
tiago,"  commanded  by  Magellan's  cousin  Serrano, 
was  in  like  manner  to  be  seized,  and  Cartagena 
would  then  assume  command  of  the  fleet. 

One  black  night,  therefore,  Cartagena  exe- 
cuted his  project  to  seize  Quesada.  This  he  suc- 
ceeded, with  little  difficulty,  in  doing;  but  before 
he  could  pursue  his  plan  further,  Magellan  got 
wind  of  what  was  going  on.  Early  the  next  morn- 
ing, he  sent  a  boat  to  the  two  revolted  ships,  with 
the  message  that  they  should  be  beached  and 
careened.  When  the  boat  arrived  alongside  the 
"  San  Antonio,"  the  sailors  found  the  guns  of  the 
ship  pointed  at  them  ;  and  one  of  the  lieutenants 
shouted  out  harshly,  and  demanded  to  know 
what  they  wanted. 

"  The  Admiral  commands  you  to  beach  and 
careen  your  ship,"  was  the  reply.  "  We  obey  no 
orders,"  retorted  the  lieutenant,  "  but  those  of 
Juan  de  Cartagena,  the  true  Admiral  of  the  fleet." 


THE  MUTINY.  8$ 

The  sailors  rowed  back  in  all  haste  to  Magel- 
lan's ship.  He  now  saw  that  there  was  open 
mutiny  against  him,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to 
take  prompt  and  stern  measures  to  repress  it. 
Calling  Fernandes,  his  chief  constable,  he  told 
him  to  man  the  boat,  proceed  without  delay  to 
Mendoza's  ship,  and,  if  possible,  take  him  pris- 
oner. Six  well-armed,  stalwart  men  accompanied 
Fernandes  on  this  hazardous  venture.  When  the 
boat  came  alongside  the  *'  Victoria,"  Mendoza's 
ship,  Fernandes  called  to  Mendoza,  and  asked 
permission  to  board  the  ship.  But  this  the  cap- 
tain refused  to  allow  him  to  do. 

"Surely,"  replied  Fernandes,  "you  are  not 
afraid  of  one  man,  bringing  a  letter  to  you." 

Mendoza  consulted  a  moment  with  his  officers, 
and  then  bade  Fernandes  come  on  board. 

No  sooner  had  the  constable  leaped  upon  the 
deck,  than  he  grasped  Mendoza  tightly  in  his 
arms,  crying,  "  In  the  name  of  the  king  you 
are  arrested  !" 

Before  Mendoza's  men  could  recover  from 
their  surprise,  Fernandes's  companions  had  rushed 
upon  the  deck  with  their  swords  drawn.  They 
fell   u^on   those  who  showed  signs  of  resisting 


86  MAGELLAN. 

them ;  and  soon  several  corpses  lay  weltering 
in  their  blood  on  the  deck.  In  a  few  minutes, 
the  brave  fellows  had  subdued  all  resistance,  and 
were  in  complete  possession  of  the  ship.  Fer- 
nandes  still  held  the  unfortunate  captain  by  the 
throat.  Fiercely  addressing  him,  at  the  same 
time  shaking  the  breath  out  of  him,  the  constable 
cried : 

"  You  traitor,  you  shall  die !" 

Throwing  Mendoza  on  the  deck,  he  held 
him  down  with  his  knees,  and  drawing  a  huge 
dagger  from  his  belt,  plunged  it  deep  into  Men- 
doza's  throat.  The  captain  writhed  in  anguish, 
and  in  another  moment  lay  stark  dead  upon  his 
deck. 

Magellan  observed  the  success  of  Fernandes's 
stratagem  from  the  deck  of  the  flag-ship.  He 
now  ordered  the  "  Trinidad"  to  drop  down  along- 
side the  "  Victoria;"  he  put  his  men  underarms, 
and  had  his  cannon  loaded  and  aimed  ;  and  was 
soon  able  to  pass  from  one  deck  to  the  other. 
He  found  that  Fernandes  and  his  men  had 
already  secured  and  bound  the  rebellious 
sailors;  and  having  made  a  strict  but  rapid  in- 
quiry   into    the    mutiny,  he  commanded  six  of 


THE    MUTINY.  8/ 

the  chief  offenders  to  be  brought  out  and  hung, 
without  mercy,  at  the  yard-arms.  Then  he  caused 
Mendoza's  body  to  be  hoisted  by  the  feet  on 
one  of  the  masts,  so  that  it  might  be  distinctly 
seen  by  the  crews  on  the  other  ships. 

It  remained  to  overcome  the  chief  conspira- 
tor, who,  with  a  strong  force,  held  out  on  the 
"San  Antonio."  Magellan  knew  that  he  was  still 
surrounded  by  Spaniards,  who  might  be  his 
enemies ;  and  suspected  that  Cartagena's  force 
might  be  too  strong  for  him,  if  he  assailed  him 
directly.  He  therefore  resorted  to  a  shrewd 
stratagem. 

Calling  aside  one  of  the  sailors,  upon  whom, 
though  he  was  a  Spaniard,  Magellan  knew  he 
could  rely,  he  told  him  to  take  a  boat,  and  row 
in  all  haste  to  the  "  San  Antonio,"  as  if  he  were 
escaping ;  and  when  he  reached  the  ship,  to  beg 
to  be  taken  on  board  as  a  fugitive.     • 

The  sailor  promptly  undertook  the  task;  shot 
out  from  the  ''Victoria"  in  a  skiff,  and  was  soon 
seen  by  Magellan  clambering  up  the  side  of  the 
**  San  Antonio."  When  night  came  on,  the  sailor 
quietly  cut  the  cables,  so  that  the  "  San  Antonio" 
drifted  directly  down  upon  the  ^'  Victoria."     As 


88 


MAGELLAN, 


soon  as  it  floated  alongside,  Magellan,  shouted 
out,  "Treason,  treason  !"  leaped  on  board  with 
his  men,  fiercely  attacked  Cartagena  and  the 
mutineers,  and  in  a  short  time  had  made  prison- 
ers of  all  who  were  not  killed  in  the  fray. 

The  crew  thus  quelled,  Magellan  hastened  to 
set  free  Quesada  and  Mesquita,  whom  Cartagena 
had  loaded  with  irons,  and  shut  up  in  his  hold. 
To  his  brother-in-law,  Edward  Barbosa,  who  had 
come  with  him,  he  confided  the  command  of  the 
"Victoria;"  while  he  made  his  faithful  friend, 
Mesquita,  captain  of  the  "  San  Antonio." 

One  ship,  the  "  Conception,"  (the  captain  of 
which  was  Quesada),  still  remained  in  rebellion  ; 
but  this,  on  seeing  the  others  in  the  hands  of 
Magellan,  surrendered  at  discretion  without  a 
struggle.  Thus  the  gallant  Admiral,  by  boldly 
attacking  his  enemies  as  soon  as  he  discovered 
their  plot  against  him,  achieved  a  prompt  and 
complete  victory. 

Magellan  was  not  naturally  stern  or  relentless. 
He  was  never  known  to  be  guilty  of  an  act  of 
wanton  cruelty.  But  he  now  saw  that  self-pre- 
servation, as  well  as  the  success  of  the  expedi- 
tion, demanded  that  his  prisoners,  especially  the 


THE    MUTINY.  89 

ringleaders  in  the  mutiny,  should  be  treated  with 
the  greatest  severity.  The  punishment  for  mu. 
tiny  in  his  days,  as  it  is  now,  was  death.  To  al- 
low Cartagena  and  his  confederates  to  live,  would 
be  to  encourage  a  repetition  of  the  revolt. 

Calling  the  rebellious  captain  before  him,  there- 
fore, on  the  deck  of  the  "  Victoria,"  Magellan 
coldly  addressed  him  as  follows : 

"  Juan  de  Cartagena,  you  have  been  guilty  of 
an  unpardonable  crime.  You  have  never  had 
any  provocation  from  me,  to  seek  my  life.  My 
chief  fault  in  your  eyes  is  that  I  am  a  Portu- 
guese, and  not  a  Spaniard ;  but  you  well  know 
that  the  sovereign  of  Spain  hath  entrusted  me 
with  the  command  of  this  fleet,  and  hath  given 
me  all  power  to  direct  its  course.  You  have 
defied  and  rebelled  against  the  king,  in  assuming 
to  declare  yourself  its  commander ;  and  you  have 
sought  to  gain  this  by  bloodshed  and  murder. 
Cartagena,  you  deserve  no  pity.  Prepare  to  die. 
You  are  to  be  shot  and  quartered,  and  your  body 
shall  be  fixed  to  a  stake,  set  up  on  this  strange 
shore." 

Cartagena  hung  his  head  in  sullen  silence, 
turning  deadly  pale,  and  clenching   his   hands, 


90  MAGELLAN. 

when  his  doom  was  pronounced.  Magellan  turned 
to  two  soldiers,  and  waved  his  hand.  The  mis- 
erable captain  was  seized  and  dragged  to  the 
forward  part  of  the  deck ;  and  presently  fell, 
shot  through  the  heart. 

Both  his  body  and  that  of  Mendoza  were  then 
quartered,  and,  as  the  admiral  had  directed,  set 
upon  stakes,  on  the  shore. 

The  rest  of  the  mutineers  were  kept  in  irons, 
except  at  such  times  as  the  ships  needed  pump- 
ing, when  they  were  brought  out,  and,  under 
guard,  were  set  to  the  pumps. 

Magellan,  however,  was  not  disposed  to  be  too 
severe  with  the  misguided  wretches,  who  had  been 
led  into  their  crime  by  their  captains.  Soon 
after  he  released  several  of  them,  and  put  them 
on  shore ;  telling  them  to  explore  the  coast 
southward,  to  ascend  any  headland  they  might 
reach,  and  see  if  they  could  not  espy  the  ocean 
on  the  other  side.  The  mutineers,  only  too  glad 
to  recover  their  liberty,  readily  promised  to  obey 
his  orders;  and  started  off  down  the  shore  with 
brisk  and  lusty  strides. 

They  remained  away  several  days ;  and  then 
returned,  footsore  and  weary,  to  tell  Magellan 


THE    MUTINY.  Qt 

that   they  had   not   succeeded    in    making  ths 
desired  discovery. 

Order  and  submission  were  mow  restored 
throughout  the  fleet.  The  Spaniards,  quite 
awed  by  the  terrible  fate  of  Cartagena  and 
Mendoza,  no  longer  thought  of  defying  Magel- 
lan's authority;  and  the  Portuguese  ceased  to 
harbor  any  ill-will  against  their  mutinous  com- 
rades. Only  one  of  the  ships,  the  ''Conception," 
was  now  under  the  command  of  a  Spaniard ; 
this  was  Quesada,  whom  Magellan  fully  tni^*:d 
as  his  friend. 


92  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ADVENTURES    WITH    THE   GIANTS. 


HE  adventurers  were  amazed  that,  as  at 
their  first  landing-place  on  the  South 
American  coast,  they  did  not  see  signs 
of  any  human  beings  or  habitations  at  St.  Julian. 

The  country  round  about  seemed  desolate  and 
deserted.  They  began  to  think  that  it  had  no 
population  whatever,  but  was  abandoned  to  wild 
beasts  and  wild  fowl.  For  two  long  months 
they  searched  the  neighborhood  in  vain  for  some 
vestiges  of  human  life;  but  none  appeared. 

At  last,  however,  they  were  undeceived  in  this 
respect.  One  day,  a  gigantic  figure  suddenly 
appeared  on  a  hill-top  very  near  the  bay ;  he  was 
entirely  naked,  with  short,  bristling  white  hair, 
and  a  fierce,  swarthy  face. 

As  soon  as  this  man  saw  the  sailors  staring  at 
him  in  wonder,  he  began  to  leap  wildly  up  and 


ADVENTURES    WITH    THE    GIANTS.  93 

down,  waving  his  arms  about,  and  singing,  or 
rather  howhng,  some  strange  song  in  a  steritorian 
voice.  Every  now  and  then  he  would  bend 
down  and  grasp  a  handful  of  dirt,  and  sprinkle  it 
on  his  great,  bullet-shaped  head,  at  the  same  time 
making  a  hideous  grimace.  Magellan  was  then 
sojourning  on  one  of  the  islands  that  studded  the 
bay.  On  being  told  of  the  strange  apparition  on 
the  hill,  he  called  one  of  the  sailors,  told  him  to 
go  ashore  and  approach  the  big  native,  and  to 
dance  about  and  sing  as  he  went  up  to  him,  so 
that  the  native  might  see  that  his  intentions  were 
friendly. 

The  sailor  did  as  he  was  bidden.  He  went 
leaping  and  shouting  up  the  hill,  to  the  great 
amusement  of  his  brother  sailors,  who  were  look- 
ing on.  The  native,  too,  gazed  hard  at  him  ;  but 
soon  recovering  from  his  fright  at  seeing  a  white 
man  drawing  near,  he  strode  towards  the  sailor, 
and  began  to  caper  around  him.  The  sailor  at 
last  persuaded  him  to  go  in  a  boat  to  Magellan's 
quarters. 

On  coming  into  the  Admiral's  presence,  and 
seeing  so  many  strange  faces  and  dresses  about 
him,  the  gigantic  savage  grew  timid ;  and  with 


94  MAGELLAN. 

an  expression  of  awe  on  his  dark  face,  pointed  to 
the  sky,  to  intimate  that  he  thought  the  Span- 
iards had  come  from  heaven. 

Meanwhile,  Magellan  observed  him  with  curi- 
ous interest.  He  saw  that  the  savage's  cheeks 
were  painted  with  red  hearts,  and  that  around  his 
eyes  were  yellow  circles.  His  hair,  it  appeared, 
was  painted  white,  and  on  his  arm  he  carried  a 
a  shaggy  skin  ;  while  in  one  hand  was  a  heavy 
bow,  and  some  arrows,  made  of  cane,  feathered 
at  one  end,  and  with  points  of  black  cut  stones 
at  the  other. 

Magellan,  anxious  to  make  friends  with  the 
natives  in  this  lonely  place,  where  he  must  yet 
sojourn  many  weeks,  regaled  the  giant  with  food 
and  drink ;  and  when  he  had  had  his  fill,  Magel- 
lan caused  a  mirror  to  be  brought  and  set  before 
him.  As  soon  as  the  giant  saw  himself  in  the 
glass,  he  gave  a  loud  cry,  and  leaped  back  so 
suddenly  and  with  such  force  that  he  sent  three 
or  four  of  the  sailors  sprawling  on  the  ground. 
He  soon  recovered  from  his  fright,  however,  and 
laughed  with  a  deafening  voice.  He  was  as, 
pleased  as  a  child  with  several  trinkets  which 
Magellan  offered  Jiim — two  tinkling  bells,  which 


AVDENTURES   WITH   THE    GIANTS.  95 

he  held  close  to  his  ear,  a  comb,  which  he  very 
quickly  saw  how  to  use,  ai  d  a  chaplet  of  beads, 
which  he  tried  to  bite,  making  many  grimaces, 
and  then  hung  around  his  neck.  Magellan  then 
sent  the  giant  ashore  with  four  armed  men ; 
'  these  the  giant  at  once  conducted  to  a  group  of 
his  countrymen,  who  had  gathered  on  the  hill- 
top, and  were  one  and  all  naked,  and  as  tall  as 
himself.  They  received  the  four  Spainards  with 
singing  and  jumping,  meanwhile  pointing  to  the 
heavens  in  the  same  manner  as  the  first  comer 
had  done. 

Pretty  soon  some  of  the  native  women  made 
their  appearance.  They  wore  shaggy  skins  about 
their  waists,  and  their  faces,  painted  in  many 
colors,  were  hideous.  While  not  as  tall  as  the 
men,  they  were  much  larger  than  European 
women. 

The  four  Spaniards  returned  to  the  fleet,  tak- 
ing with  them  several  of  the  chiefs,  and  recount- 
ing all  that  they  had  seen.  Magellan  gave  the 
chiefs  some  bells,  and  some  pictures  painted  on 
paper,  which  seemed  greatly  to  delight  them  ;  for 
they  began  to  sing  in  hoarse,  loud  voices,  and  to 
caper  wildly  about  on  the  shore.    Then  suddenly 


96  MAGELLAN. 

one  of  them,  taking  a  long  arrow  from  his  belt, 
thrust  it  far  down  his  throat,  and  drawing  it  out   • 
again,  made  a  sign,  as  if  to  say,  *'  Was  not  that  a 
wonderful  feat?" 

So  pleased  were  the  chiefs  with  the  strangers, 
that  they  begged  Magellan  to  send  some  of  his 
men  back  with  them,  that  they  might  see  their 
habitations  in  the  woods.  Magellan  readily  con- 
sented to  this,  and  ordered  seven  armed  men  to 
accompany  his  sable  guests  back  to  the  shore. 

The  chiefs  led  the  way,  and  after  crossing  the 
hills  near  the  shore,  plunged  into  a  dense  and  track- 
less forest,  so  tangled  and  overgrown  that,  though 
the  natives  passed  through  nimbly  enough,  the 
Spaniards  were  continually  stumbling  and  falling 
down.  Meanwhile,  they  watched  their  guides 
narrowly,  ready  to  shoot  them  at  the  first  sign 
of  perfidy. 

After  scrambling  through  the  thicket  for  seven 
miles,  they  came  to  an  opening ;  and  here  they 
saw  a  long,  low  hut,  roofed  with  the  thick,  shaggy 
skins  of  wild  beasts.  This  hut  they  found  di- 
vided, by  a  curtain  of  skins,  into  two  compart- 
ments, one  of  which  was  occupied  by  the  men, 
and  the  other  by  the  women  and  children.     In  all 


ADVENTURES    WITH    THE    GIANTS.  97 

there  were  thirteen  women  and  children,  and  five 
men  ;  and  these  eagerly  welcomed  the  Spaniards, 
and  regaled  them  with  a  roasted  sheep,  which 
they  slaughtered  for  the  purpose. 

The  Spaniards  were  persuaded  to  remain  one 
night  at  the  hut ;  and  were  offered  a  snug  cor- 
ner, with  skins  for  coverings.  The  natives  slept 
in  the  other  corners;  and  so  horribly  did  they 
snore,  that  their  guests  got  but  little  sleep  during 
the  night. 

The  next  day,  the  Spaniards  invited  the  chiefs 
to  return  to  the  ships,  with  their  families.  At 
first  they  declined  the  invitation ;  but  finally  re- 
tired into  the  women's  apartment,  as  if  to  bring 
them  out  to  go.  Presently  they  emerged  again, 
their  gigantic  forms  completely  covered  with 
heavy  skins,  their  faces  painted  so  as  to  give 
them  a  terrible  aspect,  and  holding  in  their 
hands  bows  and  a  quantity  of  arrows. 

Their  appearance  so  terrified  one  of  the  Span- 
iards, that  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment  he 
raised  his  gun  and  fired.  To  the  astonishment 
of  his  companions,  the  report  of  the  gun,  instead 
of  arousing  the  anger  of  the  natives,  made  them 
tremble  and  lift  up  their  arms,  as  if  they  im- 


98  MAGELLAN. 

agined  the  noise  to  proceed  from  heaven.  They 
were  evidently  persuaded  of  this,  for  they  now 
very  meekly  followed  the  Spaniards  towards  the 
ships ;  but  they  did  not  allow  their  women  to  go. 
As  they  were  passing  through  the  forest,  the  na- 
tives were  so  much  more  fleet  of  foot  that  they 
soon  outstripped  the  others,  and  all  of  a  sudden, 
disappeared  among  the  trees.  The  Spaniards 
searched  for  them  in  vain,  and  were  finally 
obliged  to  return  to  the  ships  without  them. 
On  going  with  a  strong  force,  a  few  days  after, 
to  the  opening  where  the  hut  was,  they  found  it 
quite  deserted.  The  natives,  with  their  families, 
had  fled  in  all  haste. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  they  had 
other  visitors  of  gigantic  stature  and  swarthy 
hue.  One  day,  another  big  fellow,  armed  with 
bow  and  arrows,  and  painted  as  the  rest  had 
been,  came  up  to  some  of  the  sailors,  who. were 
busily  cutting  wood  on  the  shore.  Ke  approached 
them  slowly,  touching  his  head  and  breast 
with  his  fingers,  and  then  pointing  heavenward. 
He  was  a  good-natured,  smiling  giant,  and  full  of 
lively  spirits  ;  and  was  easily  persuaded  to  accom- 
pany the  sailors  to  Magellan. 


ADVENTURES   WITH   THE   GIANTS.  99 

The  Admiral,  pleased  to  see  by  this  that  the  na- 
tives had  not  become  hostile,  cordially  greeted 
him,  gave  him  a  cloth  tunic,  a  pair  of  breeches, 
a  cap,  a  comb,  and  some  bells,  and  treated  him 
to  such  food  as  there  was  at  the  camp.  The  na- 
tive seemed  very  willing  to  remain  with  his  new 
friends;  and  Magellan  gave  him  a  lodging  in  a 
hut  on  the  island  where  he  himself  had  his 
quarters. 

After  a  time,  the  giant  not  only  learned  to  speak 
Spanish  very  well,  but  was  persuaded  by  one  of 
the  priests  to  become  a  Christian.  He  was  bap- 
tized, and  received  the  name  of  John.  He  often 
went  ashore,  and  brought  back  animals,  which 
served  as  excellent  provisions  for  the  Spaniards. 

From  this  native,  and  others  that  he  from  time 
to  time  brought  to  the  camp,  Magellan  learned 
a  great  deal  about  the  tribes  that  inhabited  the 
inland  country.  They  had,  it  appeared,  many 
strange  customs.  When  one  was  sick,  instead  of 
taking  medicine,  he  thrust  an  arrow  down  his 
throat ;  and  this  proved  a  very  effectual  emetic. 
When  they  v/ere  tortured  with  the  headache, 
they  cut  themselves  across  the  forehead,  legs,  and 
arms,  which  was  their  very  simple  way  of  bleed- 


100  MAGELLAN. 

ing  themselves.  They  all  wore  their  hair  cropped 
close  ;  and  when  they  went  hunting,  they  tied  a 
cord  around  their  heads,  aAd  upon  this  hung 
their  arrows.  They  were  a  wandering  people, 
living  in  one  place  but  a  short  time,  and  then 
changing  their  abode.  They  lived,  for  the  most 
part,  on  raw  meat,  and  a  sweet  root  which  they 
called  *'  capac."  The  sailors  were  amazed  to  see 
some  of  their  swarthy  guests  skin  rats  and  eat 
them  raw  ;  one  of  them  would  eat  an  enormous 
quantity  of  biscuits,  and  seemed  to  drink  water 
by  the  quart.  One  striking  thing  about  them  was 
their  exceeding  swiftness  of  foot ;  and  they  seemed 
to  run  as  rapidly  in  a  dense,  entangled  for- 
est, as  upon  the  smooth,  yielding  sand  of  the 
seashore. 

The  idea  occurred  to  Magellan  that  it  might 
be  useful  to  him  in  the  future,  if  he  could  man- 
age to  keep  one  or  two  of  these  natives,  and 
carry  them  with  him  on  the  rest  of  his  voyage. 
They  might  act  as  interpreters  with  the  savage 
races  further  south  ;  and  might  point  out  the 
favorable  places  for  anchorage,  and  the  shoals 
and  reefs  to  be  avoided. 

With  this  view  he  enticed  two  of  the  younger 


ADVENTURES    WITH    THE    GIANTS.  lOI 

and  more  comely  and  intelligent  savages  onboard 
the  flag-ship,  and  made  them  happy  by  profuse 
gifts.  Among  these  were  glittering  steel  knives, 
forks,  small  round  mirrors,  bells,  and  various 
articles  of  glass ;  which  the  big  fellows  received 
with  the  liveliest  and  roughest  demonstrations  of 
joy.  Then  he  had  some  irons,  with  which  cap- 
tains were  accustomed  to  confine  rebellious  sail- 
ors, brought  out.  These  were  shown  to  the  na- 
tives, who  examined  them  with  the  keenest 
curiosity.  After  they  had  played  with  them, 
Magellan  showed  them  how  to  fasten  the  irons 
on  their  feet ;  but,  no  sooner  had  they  found 
themselves  securely  bound  about  the  ankles,  than 
they  fell  in  a  great  rage,  and  roared  and  foamed 
at  the  mouth  like  two  bulls,  and  called  upon  their 
god,  Setebos,  to  rescue  them.  They  fell  on  the 
deck,  and  writhed  about,  as  if  trying  to  escape, 

Meanwhile,  some  of  the  other  natives,  who  had 
come  with  them  on  board,  went  ashore,  and  told 
the  men  and  women  v/hat  had  happened ;  where- 
upon all  the  women  made  haste  to  run  into  the 
woods;  while  the  men  gathered  on  the  shore,  and 
began  firing  arrows  at  the  flag-ship.  One  of  the 
sailors  fell  mortally  wounded.     Magellan  ordered 


I02  MAGELLAN. 

his  men  to  answer  the  attack  with  their  guns ; 
which  so  frightened  the  giants  on  shore,  that 
they  made  all  haste  to  follow  their  wives  into 
the  woods. 

From  this  time,  the  Spaniards  saw  no  more  of 
this  race  of  giants,  for  on  scouring  the  country 
they  could  find  no  trace  of  them.  So  the  sailors 
burned  their  huts,  and  brought  such  provisions 
as  they  found  in  them  to  the  ships.  The  two  na- 
tives who  had  been  put  in  irons  were  carefully 
guarded  :  for  Magellan  had  learned  by  this  time 
how  agile  and  cunning  these  gigantic  fellows 
were ;  and  was  resolved  to  keep  these  two  with 
him.  After  awhile,  they  seemed  to  become  rec- 
onciled to  their  lot.  They  were  brought  on 
deck,  and  the  sailors  taught  them  a  little  Span- 
ish ;  so  that  they  were  soon  able  to  make  them- 
selves understood.  When  they  had  recovered 
from  their  anger  and  their  fright,  they  became 
very  merry  and  chatty,  and  apparently  forgot 
all  about  their  countrymen,  and  even  their 
wives,  whom,  at  first,  they  had  bewailed  very 
piteously.  Each  ate  enough  for  two  men,  and 
drank  astonishing  quantities  of  water;  and,  on 
being  provided  with  seamen's  suits,  they  learned 


ADVENTURES    WITH    THE-   GIANTS.  IO3 

to  prefer  this  costume  to  their  original  nakedness. 
Magellan  was  greatly  pleased  to  see  how  quickly 
and  readily  they  became  reconciled  to  their  lot. 

Weeks  and  months  glided  quickly  by  in  this 
pleasant  bay  of  St.  Julian.  The  weather  was,  at 
times,  severe ;  and  had  the  ships  not  found  a  very 
safe  anchorage,  under  the  lee  of  the  islands  that 
studded  the  bay,  they  would  have  been  in  seri- 
ous peril  from  the  terrible  tempests  of  wind  and 
hail  that  swept  over  them.  In  time,  however,  the 
bleak  season  gradually  passed  away ;  and  nature 
began  to  put  on  the  fresh,  light-green  tints  of 
spring.  As  the  vegetation  gradually  appeared 
and  grew,  Magellan  saw  that  he  was  indeed  in  a 
lovely  country,  endowed  with  many  natural 
beauties,  prolific  in  fruits  and  vegetables,  and 
blessed  with  a  delightful  temperature. 

It  was  time,  however,  to  think  of  resuming  the 
voyage.  There  seemed  no  further  obstacle  to 
the  progress  southward  of  the  ships.  They  had 
been  fully  repaired  by  the  carpenters  Magellan 
had  taken  care  to  bring  with  him  ;  had  been  newly 
caulked,  their  sails  patched  and  mended,  the 
holds  thoroughly  scoured  and  cleaned,  and  all 
things  about  them  set  to  rights.     Provisions  in 


104  MAGELLAN 

abundance  had  been  secured  by  the  good-will 
of  the  natives,  who  had  been  very  willing  to  ex- 
change meat  and  other  food,  the  products  of  the 
country,  for  the  trinkets  which  Magellan  freely 
lavished  upon  them.  Good  water,  too,  had  been 
found  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  bay,  so  that 
everything  seemed  provided  for  a  comfortable 
voyage  further  down  the  coast. 

Before  setting  sail,  however,  Magellan  deemed 
it  wise  that  one  of  the  ships  should  be  sent  for- 
ward, to  explore  the  coast  at  a  little  distance 
southward ;  and  accordingly  told  Serrano,  who 
commanded  the  '*  Santiago,"  the  smallest  vessel 
of  the  fleet,  to  set  sail  on  this  errand.  It  hap- 
pened that  after  Serrano  got  outside  the  bay,  a 
current  seized  his  ship,  and  swept  it  so  rapidly 
forward  that  it  could  not  be  steered  ;  and  before 
he  knew  it,  the  '*  Santiago"  grounded  upon  some 
rocks.  There  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost. 
The  ship  was  hopelessly  wrecked,  and  all  that 
the  crew  could  to  do  was  to  save  themselves, 
and  such  of  the  provisions  as  they  could  quickly 
lay  their  hands  on.  Fortunately  the  boats  proved 
uninjured.  They  were  launched  without  delay, 
and  every  man  on  board  was  rescued. 


ADVENTURES    WITH    THE    GIANTS.  10$ 

The  boats  made  all  haste  to  return  to  the  fleet. 
The  news  of  the  loss  of  the  "Santiago"  was  very 
unwelcome  to  Magellan  ;  for,  though  she  was  the 
smallest  of  his  vessels,  he  could  ill  spare  her  from 
the  fleet. 

He  resolved  to  delay  no  lo^er  his  departure 
from  St.  Julian.  It  was  now  late  in  August ;  the 
time  for  a  favorable  voyage  was  fast  gliding  by, 
and  there  was  no  further  reason  for  delay.  One 
fine,  warm  morning,  therefore,  he  gave  his  orders  ; 
the  "  Trinidad,"  the  Admiral's  flag  flying  at  her 
mast-head,  floated  smoothly  out  of  the  bay  which 
had  so  well  sheltered  them,  and  where  so  many 
stirring  events  had  taken  place ;  and  the  three 
remaining  ships,  with  full  sails  on,  followed 
closely  in  her  wake. 


I06  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS   THE    STRAITS. 

T  first  the  voyage  southward  was  pursued 
under  fair  winds,  and  with  soft  breezes 
that  wafted  the  ships  swiftly  over  the 
waters.  They  had  not  proceeded  for  many  days, 
when  they  came  in  sight  of  a  promontory  which 
jutted  far  out  into  the  sea.  Scarcely  had  they 
got  opposite  to  it,  when  a  terrific  tempest  burst 
upon  them.  The  ships  creaked,  shook,  and 
strained  ;  some  of  the  masts  were  carried  away, 
and  some  of  the  sails  were  torn  to  shreds,  as  if 
ripped  by  unseen  giant  hands ;  and  for  several 
days  it  was  an  even  chance  whether  the  little  fleet 
should  founder  or  weather  the  storm.  One  of  them 
came  very  near  being  dashed  upon  the  grim 
and  frowning  promontory;  another  sprang  a 
leak,  and  the  men  were  forced  to  work  desper- 
ately at  the  pumps  night  and  day  ;  a  third  narrowly 


MAGELLAN     DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.         lO/ 

escaped  being  driven  out  to  sea,  and  thus  part- 
ing company  with  the  rest. 

At  last,  the  fleet  was  able  to  find  shelter  be- 
low the  promontory,  in  a  little  bay ;  and  now 
Magellan  named  the  promontory  Santa  Cruz, 
(or,  the  Promontory  of  the  Holy  Cross.) 

Here  the  sailors  once  more  grew  clamorous  to 
return  to  Spain.  They  were  worn  and  weary 
with  the  voyage;  they  despaired  of  a  successful 
ending  of  the  expedition ;  and  they  loudly  de- 
manded, even  before  the  Admiral  himself,  that 
the  prows  of  the  ships  should  be  turned  home- 
ward. 

But  Magellan  was  not  to  be  terrified  into  re- 
treating. He  sternly  told  his  men  to  hold  their 
peace  and  trust  in  him. 

"  I  shall  go  on,"  he  said,  "  even  till  we  reach 
the  ice-seas  of  the  southern  pole.  The  land  of 
this  continent  must  end  somewhere;  and  when 
we  reach  this  limit,  we  shall  have  achieved  our 
end.  We  have  still  food,  water,  and  clothing, 
and  goodly  ships.  Why,  then,  should  we  des- 
pair?" 

The  confidence  and  courage  of  their  com- 
mander restored  the  sailors  to  submission,  and 


I08  MAGELLAN. 

they  finally  returned,  without  further  complaint, 
to  their  tasks. 

The  voyagers  only  remained  at  Santa  Cruz  long 
enough  to  repair  the  damage  which  the  storm 
had  done  to  the  fleet.  Once  more  the  flag-ship 
set  forth,  and  the  others  followed,  and  favoring 
breezes  carried  them  rapidly  forward. 

Magellan  little  thought,  when  he  rose  on  the 
sunny  morning  of  October  2ist,  1520,  that  he 
was  near  the  object  most  dear  to  his  heart. 
It  was  the  day  consecrated  to  the  eleven 
thousand  virgins;  and  on  all  festival  days  of  the 
Church,  Magellan  was  wont  to  ordain  a  religious 
ceremony  on  the  ships.  On  rising,  therefore,  he 
took  care  to  attire  himself  in  his  finest  suit,  with 
velvet  doublet,  plumed  cap,  and  jewelled  sword; 
he  little  knew  that  he  was  habiting  himself  to 
witness  the  chief  event  of  his  life. 

As  he  had  proceeded  along  the  coast,  he  had  been 
blindly  groping  for  a  passage  which  he  could 
only  guess  existed,  but  of  which  he  had  no  positive 
knowledge  whatever.  He  knew  not  what  a  day 
might  bring  forth;  he  was  all  in  the  dark  as  to 
the  distance  he  had  to  go;  and  he  had  now  be- 
come used  to  seeing  the  day  go  by,  and  the  night 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.         lOQ 

close  in,  without  having  made  the  great  dis- 
covery. 

When  he  emerged  from  his  cabin,  and  stood 
upon  the  deck,  the  officers  and  crews,  in  their 
best  apparel,  were  already  assembled.  Two 
priests  had  set  up  a  little  altar  on  the  poop,  and 
were  standing,  arrayed  in  their  sacred  robes, 
ready  to  perform  the  mass.  The  Admiral  took 
his  place  in  front  of  the  rest ;  and  as  the  good 
ship  sped  on,  the  voices  of  the  priests  mingled 
with  the  splash  of  the  waters  and  the  flapping  of 
the  sails,  in  the  performance  of  their  solemn  rite. 

Scarcely  was  mass  concluded,  when  one  of  the 
sailors,  perched  on  the  look-out  forward,  cried  out 
loudly  that  a  long  cape  was  in  sight.  Magellan 
walked  to  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  gazed  in  the 
direction  in  which  the  sailor  pointed.  There,  in- 
deed, was  a  jutting  cape,  beyond  which  nothing 
could  be  seen. 

Pretty  soon  the  fleet  was  o£f  the  point.  On 
rounding  it,  Magellan's  heart  leaped  within  him 
to  perceive  that  there  was  a  broad  inlet,  running 
in  a  southwesterly  direction ;  and  that,  while  the 
land  was  plainly  visible  on  its  southern  side,  its 
limit  inland  could    not   be   discerned.     Naming 


no  MAGELLAN. 

the  cape  the  Cape  of  Virgins,  he  gave  orders  that 
the  fleet  should  boldly  enter  the  inlet,  and  en- 
deavor to  find  out  whither  it  led. 

The  aspect  of  the  shores,  and  of  the  inlet 
itself,  was  very  remarkable.  Lofty  mountains, 
snow-shrouded,  loomed  on  both  shores.  These 
shores  were  jagged  and  uneven,  many  lesser 
inlets  running  from  the  larger  one  far  into  the 
land,  and  craggy  islands  seeming  in  several  places^ 
to  completely  choke  up  the  channel ;  here  and 
there  were  patches  of  green  forests,  but  the  gen- 
eral appearance  of  the  place  was  desolate  and  for- 
bidding. 

The  ships  advanced  carefully,  for  on  every  side 
the  jutting  reefs  and  piled-up  breakers  threat- 
ened destruction.  As  the  flag-ship  progressed, 
Magellan  anxiously  watched  the  channel  ahead, 
fearing  every  moment  lest  it  should  come  to  an 
end,  and  once  more  dash  his  hopes  of  a  passage. 
At  last  they  came  to  a  round  bay,  sheltered 
on  every  side  by  lofty  masses  of  rock.  It 
was  now  nearly  dark ;  the  fleet  could  not  pursue 
its  course  much  further,  amid  so  many  perils; 
and  Magellan  gave  the  order  to  anchor  in  the 
bay. 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.         Ill 

So  favorable  for  a  sojourning  place  and  point 
of  departure  did  this  bay  appear  to  Magellan, 
when  he  rose  next  morning,  that  he  resolved  to 
remain  in  it,  with  the  flag-ship,  while  he  sent  two 
of  the  other  ships  to  explore  the  channel  further 
on,  and  see  if  they  could  not  find  the  outlet. 
Accordingly,  calling  Mesquita  and  Serrano,  the 
captains  of  the  "  San  Antonio,"  and  the  "  Con- 
ception," he  told  them  to  set  out,  without  delay, 
on  this  dangerous  and  difficult  errand. 

They  had  scarcely  disappeared  among  the 
islands,  before  a  storm  arose,  so  fierce  that  the 
two  ships  that  remained  in  the  bay  were  forced 
to  weigh  their  anchors,  and  be  tossed  to  and  fro 
violently  at  the  will  of  the  winds.  This  con- 
tinued all  night,  and  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
next  day  ^  when  at  last  the  tempest  subsided, 
without  having  seriously  damaged  the  ships. 

Meanwhile,  no  signs  appeared  of  the  two  ves- 
sels that  had  gone  forward  to  explore  the  chan- 
nel ;  and  for  a  time  Magellan  much  feared  that 
they  had  foundered  in  the  storm.  After  several 
days,  however,  he  was  relieved  by  seeing  them 
speeding  rapidly  towards  the  bay,  and  what  filled 
his  heart  with  good  cheer,  with  their  flags  and 


112  MAGELLAN. 

streamers  flying  gaily  from  their  mast-heads. 
They  were  soon  alongside  the  flag-ship ;  and 
Mesquita,  hastening  on  board,  eagerly  advanced 
to  Magellan,  and  fell  at  his  feet. 

*'  Praise  be  to  God,  admiral,"  cried  he,  when  he 
could  recover  his  breath  so  as  to  speak,  "  we  have 
found  the  outlet!" 

Magellan,  with  flushed  face,  his  whole  body 
trembling  with  excitement  and  emotion,  raised 
the  faithful  captain  from  the  deck,  and  clasping 
him  about  the  neck,  burst  into  tears  of  joy. 

"Is  it  indeed  true?"  he  said,  with  faltering 
voice.  "  And  have  you  seen  the  other  ocean — 
the  western  ocean  beyond  ?" 

"  We  have  indeed  seen  it,  with  these  very 
eyes,"  replied  Mesquita.  "  We  came  near  perish- 
ing in  the  storm ;  but  we  kept  on,  and  we  have 
succeeded." 

Magellan  turned  to  Serrano,  who  had  now 
come  on  board  from  the  "Conception,"  and  the 
other  officers,  and  tenderly  embraced  them.  Then 
in  exultant  tones,  he  spoke. 

"My  comrades,  at  last  we  have  triumphed! 
Our  perils  have  been  great,  our  trials  and  hard- 
ships sore  and  many.     But  the  reward  of  all  has 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.  II3 

come.  The  passage  that  conducts  from  the  At- 
lantic to  the  further  ocean,  that  affords  the  near- 
est way  from  Spain  to  the  precious  isles  of  the 
Moluccas,  is  found !  It  is  just  before  us ;  we 
shall  *pass  through  it,  if  God  pleases  to  still  pro- 
tect us,  and  shall  sail  into  the  ocean  beyond.  We 
shall  make  other  discoveries ;  find  wealth  and 
fame  for  ourselves,  and  dominion  for  our  mon- 
arch! Captains,  repair  to  your  ships;  assemble 
your  crews,  and  tell  them  the  good  tidings ;  let 
your  cannon  awake  deafening  echoes  among 
these  crags ;  float  the  royal  standard  and  ensigns 
of  Spain  from  your  mast-heads ;  array  your  decks 
with  streamers  and  ribbons ;  let  wine  and  meat  . 
in  plenty  be  set  forth  ;  and  render  thanks  to 
God  for  conducting  us  to  this  great  discovery!" 
The  admiral's  orders  were  obeyed  with  a  will. 
Ere  long  the  four  ships,  riding  at  anchor  in  the 
bay,  side-by-side,  put  on  an  air  of  festivity  and 
good  cheer.  The  sailors  crowded  the  decks, 
singing  and  capering,  embracing  each  other,  and 
every  now  and  then  breaking  out  into  hoarse  and 
lusty  cheers.  The  cannon  boomed  with  quick 
succeeding  volleys,  their  voices  of  thunder  re- 
sounding from  point  to  point;  the  flags  waved 


114  MAGELLAN. 

with  joyous  fluttering  in  the  fresh  breeze ;  and 
then  followed  a  bounteous  feast  on  each  deck,  of 
which  officers  and  men  partook  together. 

The  religious  thanksgiving  for  the  discovery- 
was  not  forgotten.  The  remains  of  the  feast 
were  cleaned  away  ;  instead  of  the  tables,  altars 
arose  on  the  decks ;  and  the  priests,  with  deep- 
toned  voices,  chanted  the  song  of  triumph  which 
their  church  ordained. 

When  he  had  grown  somewhat  calmer,  Magel- 
lan took  the  two  captains,  Mesquita  and  Serrano, 
into  his  cabin,  and  asked  them  to  relate  the  par- 
ticulars of  their  adventures. 

"  At  first,"  said  Mesquita,  "  we  met  with  head- 
winds, which  would  not  allow  us  to  weather  the 
cape  at  the  end  of  the  bay ;  and  we  attempted  to 
turn  round,  and  come  back  to  the  other  ships. 
In  making  this  attempt,  we  were  very  near  being 
stranded  upon  the  shore.  Every  moment  we 
feared  that  we  should  be  lost;  meanwhile,  the 
tempest  carried  us  gradually  toward  the  head  of 
the  cape,  which  we  finally  reached.  It  seemed 
to  us  that  the  inlet  ended  there ;  and  on  round- 
ing the  cape,  we  were  surprised  to  see  a  small 
mouth,  or  corner  of  the  inlet.    We  sailed  for  this, 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.         II5 

in  the  hope  of  sheltering  ourselves  from  the 
storm.  On  approaching  nearer,  we  found  that 
this  led  into  another  bay,  which  we  forthwith  en- 
tered. Crossing  this  bay  we  reached  another 
narrow  channel,  through  which  we  sailed,  until 
we  came  to  still  a  third  bay,  larger  than  either 
of  the  others ;  thence  we  passed  into  a  third 
strait,  from  which  we  could  plainly  discover  the 
boundless  ocean  itself.  Lying  there  over-night, 
we  returned  to-day,  to  impart  to  you  and  our 
comrades  the  glorious  news  we  brought." 

The  weather  was  fair,  and  seemed  settled ;  and 
Magellan  was  eager  to  follow  in  the  route  that 
the  "Conception"  and  the  "San  Antonio"  had 
pursued.  He  therefore  ordered  the  whole  fleet 
to  set  sail,  and  advance  through  the  channel.  In 
no  long  time  the  ships  had  entered  the  last  strait 
described  by  Mesquita;  and  all  the  adventurers 
now  caught  a  glimpse,  in  the  far  and  dim  dis- 
tance, of  the  white-crested  billows  of  the  further 
ocean.  They  then  anchored  off  a  cape  that  jutted 
into  the  strait,  which  Magellan  named  Cape 
Forward. 

But  Magellan  found  that,  once  here,  he  had  by 
no  means  found  an  easy  passage  through.     The 


ii6 


MAGELLAN. 


channel  seemed  to  divide  into  two,  and  to  present 
two  branches,  one  to  the  southeast,  the  other  to 
the  southwest.  Which  should  betaken?  Without 
doubt,  one  of  them  led  to  the  ocean;  the  other 
probably  found  its  termination  in  a  bay;  nor 
could  he  decide,  from  the  point  where  he  then 
was,  which  to  attempt. 

He  therefore  resolved  to  again  send  out  the 
two  ships,  the  "  Conception"  and  the  "  San  An- 
tonio," to  explore  the  two  channels,  and  to  report 
to  him  their  discoveries.  Before  doing  so,  how- 
ever, Magellan  called  together  his  officers  and 
principal  men,  and  said  to  them : 

"  We  have,  no  doubt,  discovered  the  passage 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  further  seas.  Ere  very 
long  our  ships  will  ride  the  waters  of  the  sea  be- 
yond. It  remains  to  decide  whether  we  shall 
push  further  forward,  and  seek  the  Moluccas ;  or 
return  with  our  good  news  to  Spain.  We  have 
only  provisions  for  three  months;  the  voyage  to 
the  islands  must  be  very  long  and  tedious;  we 
may  have  to  undergo  stern  trials,  severe  priva- 
tions. On  the  other  hand,  if  we  succeed  in  reach- 
ing the  Moluccas,  vast  riches  await  us  there. 
We  shall  gain  dominion  for  the  king,  and  receive 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVEH^    THE    STRAITS.         II^ 

yet  greater  fame  and  honor  in  Spain,  when  at 
last  we  seek  the  hospitable  shores  of  home.  I 
ask  you,  comrades,  for  your  voices .  Which  shall 
we  do?" 

A  loud  shout  promptly  answered  the  Admiral's 
question. 

"  Let  us  go  on  !"  was  the  eager  response  of  Ma- 
gellan's companions. 

One,  however,  Gomez,  the  pilot  of  the  *'  San 
Antonio,"  did  not  join  in  the  cry.  When  silence 
was  restored,  he  spoke  boldly  in  favor  of  return- 
ing to  Spain. 

"  Our  fleet,"  he  said,  "  is  worn  with  so  much 
sailing.  The  ships  are  out  of  repair,  and  little 
able  to  withstand  the  storms  of  unknown  seas.  We 
have  already  lost  one  of  them  by  shipwreck.  Let 
us  go  back,  and  return  next  year  with  a  new  and 
larger  fleet." 

"Enough  of  this!"  retorted  Magellan,  angrily. 
"We  will  go  on,  even  if  we  have  to  eat  the 
,  leather  off  the  ship's  yards!" 

The  "Conception"  and  the  "San  Antonio" 
started  off  on  their  errand  of  exploration  ;  sev- 
eral days  elapsed,  but  they  did  not  return.  Ma- 
gellan feared  that  they  were  lost.     He  was  too 


Il8  Mi^GELLAN. 

impatient  to  wait  for  them,  however,  and  one 
day  he  set  sail,  with  the  two  ships  that  remained, 
through  the  strait  that  led  southwestward.  This, 
on  reflection,  seemed  most  likely  to  lead  to  the 
open  sea. 

On  their  way  they  passed  through  a  wide 
river,  which,  from  the  number  of  little  fishes  they 
found  in  it,  Magellan  named  the  River  of  Sar- 
dines. Anchoring  in  this  river,  he  sent  out  two 
of  the  long-boats,  well  supplied  with  men  and 
provisions,  to  reconnoitre  the  further  end  of  the 
river.  The  boats  returned  after  three  days, 
with  the  intelligence  that  the  river  led  to  the  sea, 
the  shores  of  which  they  had  touched. 

As  the  "Trinidad"  (the  flag-ship)  and  the 
"Victoria"  were  advancing  through  the  river,  to 
Magellan's  delight  the  "Conception,"  which  he 
had  given  up  for  lost,  suddenly  appeared  in  view. 
She  soon  came  alongside,  and  Serrano,  the  captain, 
told  Magellan  that  he  had  got  lost  in  the  straits 
and  among  the  isl  mds.  He  had  seen  nothing  of 
the  "  San  Antonio"  since  he  parted  from  her. 
Magellan  accordingly  sent  back  the  ^'Victoria" 
to  the  entrance  of  the  passage  in  search  of  her; 
and  told  the  captain,  if  he  did  not  find  the  mis- 


MAGELLAN     DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS  IIQ 

sing  vessel,  to  hoist  a  flag  on  the  summit  of  a 
hill,  and  place  a  letter  in  a  jar  at  the  foot  of  the 
flag-pole ;  so  that  if  the  "  San  Antonio"  saw  the 
flag,  its  officers  might  learn  by  the  letter,  what 
course  the  fleet  was  holding. 

The  "  Victoria"  returned  to  the  entrance,  but 
saw  no  sign  of  the  "  San  Antonio."  The  captain 
raised  the  flag,  and  deposited  the  letter,  as  he 
had  been  directed ;  and  placed  another  flag  and 
letter  on  a  little  island  at  the  mouth  of  the 
strait. 

What  had  really  become  of  the  "  San  Antonio," 
may  be  related  here.  The  pilot,  Gomez,  who  had 
urged  Magellan  to  return  to  Spain,  was  indignant 
at  the  stern  response  he  had  received.  He  was 
one  of  those  Spaniards  who  had  all  along  been 
jealous  of  the  Admiral;  and,  as  it  happened, 
most  of  the  sailors  who  went  in  the  "San  An- 
tonio" had  the  same  vindictive  feeling. 

When,  therefore,  the  "San  Antonio"  had  got 
well  out  of  sight  of  the  fleet,  and  night  had  come 
on,  Gomez  incited  the  crew  to  mutiny.  They 
seized  Mesquita,  the  captain,  Magellan's  faithful 
friend,  wounded  him,  put  him  in  irons,  and  im- 
prisoned him  in  his  cabin.     Then  Gomez  took 


120  MAGELLAN. 

command  of  the  ship,  sailed  back  through  the 
strait,  and  at  once  put  to  sea  on  his  way  to 
Spain.  On  his  arrival  there,  he  everywhere 
spread  the  report  that  Magellan's  expedition 
had  miserably  failed,  and  that  the  other  ships 
had  been  lost ;  and  this  was  believed  there  for 
many  months. 

The  three  other  ships,  the  "  Trinidad,"  "  Con- 
ception," and  "  Victoria,"  soon  reached  the 
mouth  of  the  River  of  Sardines.  At  the  point 
where  it  flowed  into  the  ocean  appeared  a  hilly 
cape,  stretching  out  into  the  water.  This  Ma- 
gellan called  Cape  Desire,  because,  he  said,  this 
was  a  place  he  had  long  desired.  As  he  saw  be- 
yond the  jutting  cliffs,  the  long  sweep  of  billows, 
the  boundless  expanse  of  waters,  his  eyes  filled 
with  tears  of  joy,  and  he  lifted  his  hands  heaven- 
ward in  mute  thanksgiving  to  God,  that  at  last 
his  eyes  were  permitted  to  behold  the  ocean  he 
had  sought.  Once  more  the  cannon  awoke  the 
echoes  of  the  lofty  and  forbidding  shores,  and 
once  more  the  priests  chanted  their  praises  to 
the  beneficent  Creator. 

Near  Cape  Desire  the  ships  found  a  good  har- 
bor, where  they  could  easily  cast  anchor,  and 


MAGELLAN  DISCOVERS  THE  STRAITS.  121 

where  the  crews  could  go  ashore.  On  the  high 
hills  which,  in  this  place,  rose  for  a  long  distance 
from  near  the  water's  edge,  and  which  terminated 
in  towering,  snow-crested  mountains,  they  formed 
vast  cedar  forests,  and  plenty  of  pure  spring 
water.  They  caught  many  fish,  too,  among  them 
a  fish  that  so  much  resembled  sardines  that  they 
called  them  by  that  name ;  and  they  found  a 
sweet  and  succulent  herb,  which  was  similar  to 
celery  in  taste  and  appearance.  This  grew  in 
damp  places,  near  the  springs. 

The  prospect  in  every  direction  was  very  striking 
and  picturesque.  The  crags  and  foaming  gulfs  of 
the  straits,  the  lofty  mountains,  the  rich  green  for- 
ests of  cedar,  the  luxuriant  herbage,  and  the  limit- 
less ocean,  formed  a  scene  which  deeply  impressed 
itself  on  the  minds  of  the  weary  wanderers. 

The  adventurers  greatly  enjoyed  their  stay  at 
Cape  Desire.  Their  trials  were  forgotten  amid 
the  attractions  of  their  resting  place ;  the 
weather  was  growing  cooler,  but  was  not  yet 
bleak ;  sea  and  land  afforded  an  abundance  of 
fresh  provisions ;  and  the  Admiral  allowed  his 
crews,  while  on  shore,  the  largest  liberty.  They 
wandered  among  the  odorous  forests,  and  roamed 


122  MAGELLAN. 

over  the  hills,  and  some  even  ventured  to  climb 
one  of  the  mountains,  until  they  found  themselves 
up  to  the  waist  in  snow. 

The  natives  of  the  region  were  very  much  like 
those  whom  they  had  seen  on  the  other  side  of 
the  straits  ;  only  they  seemed  brighter  and  more 
intelligent,  and  had  a  language  which  they  spoke 
rapidly,  with  a  guttural  accent  that  amused  the 
sailors  very  much.  The  latter  soon  learned 
enough  of  this  strange  jargon  to  talk  a  little  with 
the  natives,  who,  after  they  once  became  accus- 
tomed to  the  Europeans  (the  like  of  whom  they 
had  never  before  seen),  were  very  good-natured 
and  sociable.  They  were  of  gigantic  stature,  and 
made  their  faces  hideous,  by  painting  and  branding 
them.  They  brought  provisions  to  the  ships,  and 
were  greatly  delighted  with  the  beads,  buttons, 
little  bells,  and  so  on,  with  which  Magellan  re- 
warded them. 

These  natives  lived  for  the  most  part  on  a 
juicy  root  which  grew  in  great  abundance  in 
the  marshy  places,  and  which  they  cooked 
after  a  rude  fashion.  They  had  a  way  of  rub- 
bing sticks  together  very  rapidly,  with  the  pith 
of  a  tree  between,  and  thus  striking   a   light. 


MAGELLAN    DISCOVERS    THE    STRAITS.        I23 

Magellan  only  tarried  in  this  harbor  long 
enough  to  repair  his  ships,  rest  his  crews,  and  take 
in  a  fresh  supply  of  wood,  water,  and  provisions, 
and  determine  on  his  future  course.  He  made 
an  excursion  along  the  coast,  and  perceived  that, 
as  far  as  he  weat,  it  stretched  away  almost  due 
northward.  He  therefore  concluded  that,  if  he 
sailed  in  that  direction,  he  would  sooner  or  later 
reach  the  equator;  and  that,  if  on  approaching 
this  line,  he  altered  his  course  towards  the  north- 
westward, he  must  in  time  arrive  at  the  Moluc- 
cas. He  had  now  constructed,  in  a  rude  way,  a 
pretty  fair  chart  of  the  world  ;  though,  of  course, 
he  could  not  give  a  true  outline  of  the  shape  of 
the  continents  of  Africa  and  South  America. 

One  day,  early  in  December,  iihe  fleet  once 
more  set  forth,  upon  an  ocean  which,  in  that  re- 
gion at  least,  had  never  before  been  plowed  by  the 
keels  of  an  European  ship.  More  than  a  year  had 
passed  since  the  voyagers  had  sailed  out  of  the 
harbor  of  Seville.  What  strange  countries  and 
peoples  they  had  seen;  what  thrilling  adventures 
they  had  had !  But  the  perils  and  the  scenes 
they  had  passed  through  were  to  be  outdone  by 
those  they  were  yet  destined  to  encounter. 


124  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC. 

AIR  and  calm  were  the  days,  and  smooth 
and  sparkling  was  the  sea,  during  the 
first  weeks  of  Magellan's  progress  over 
the  ocean,  hitherto  untraversed  by  European 
prows.  The  weather  preserved  an  even  tempera- 
ture and  tranquillity,  which  made  the  voyage 
seem  more  like  a  pleasure  excursion  than  what  it 
really  was — a  desperate  and  daring  venture.  The 
crews  worked  at  their  tasks  with  cheery  good 
will ;  the  ships  sped  on  side-by-side ;  favorable 
breezes  wafted  them  rapidly  forward.  It  did  not 
seem  possible  that  aught  could  happen  to  disturb 
this  prosperous  setting-out. 

Magellan,  who  was  a  good  scholar,  as  well  as  a 
brave  soldier  and  bold  voyager,  spent  the  long, 
sunshiny  days  poring  over  his  charts,  making  cal- 
culations, and  estimating  the  time  it  would  take, 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  125 

if  all  went  well,  to  reach  the  Moluccas.  In  the 
midst  of  these  studies,  a  thrilling  thought,  one 
day,  made  him  start  to  his  feet,  and  clasp  his 
hands.  He  was  approaching  the  Moluccas  by  a 
westward  route  from  Europe.  But  the  islands 
had  already  been  reached  by  an  eastward  route, 
around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  If,  then,  after 
arriving  at  the  Moluccas,  he  should,  instead  of  re- 
tracing his  voyage  around  South  America,  keep 
right  on,  double  Africa,  and  thus  get  back  to 
Spain,  he  would  have  circumnavigated  the  globe  . 
No  voyager  had  ever  achieved  this  triumph ;  he 
would  be  the  first  to  have  encircled  the  earth ! 

He  resolved  on  the  spot,  that  he  would  add 
this  new  laurel  to  the  crown  of  his  fame.  Alas ! 
Though  his  glorious  dream  was  realized,  he  was 
not  destined  to  live  to  see  it . 

So  tranquil  did  the  waters  of  the  ocean  re- 
main, from  day  to  day,  and  from  week  to  week, 
that  Magellan,  impressed  by  this  striking  con- 
trast with  the  stormy  and  tempest-tossed  Atlan- 
tic, resolved  to  bestow  upon  it  a  name  suggestive 
of  its  serenity. 

Calling  his  officers  about  him,  one  day,  he  thus 
spoke  to  them. 


126  MAGELLAN. 

"  My  comrades,  we  are  sailing  on  an.  unknown 
ocean.  No  European  ship  has  ever  before 
ploughed  these  gentle  waters.  On  our  charts, 
this  vast  expanse  is  nameless.  Do  you  not  see 
how  smooth  as  a  lake  is  its  surface ;  how 
mild  are  its  breezes  ;  how  soft  and  even  is  its  tem- 
perature ?  Comrades,  I  will  give  this  great  sea  a 
name,  and  christen  it.  Henceforth,  let  it  be 
known  as  the  Pacific  !" 

And  so  Magellan  gave  a  name,  not  only  to  the 
stormy  straits  which  he  had  discovered,  but  also 
to  the  mighty  ocean  which  he  was  the  first  Euro- 
pean voyager  to  cross. 

After  sailing  for  some  weeks,  the  fleet  was  be- 
calmed in  mid-ocean.  The  winds  which  had  sped 
the  ships  so  buoyantly,  fell,  then  died  away. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done  except  to  toss 
about  on  the  lonely  sea,  and  await  the  return  of 
easterly  breezes.  But  days,  then  weeks  passed, 
and  the  dreary  calm  continued.  Sometimes  a 
brisk  wind  would  come  up,  and  the  ships  would 
then  plough  rapidly  through  the  waves ;  but  it 
would  vanish  again,  and  leave  them  once  more 
idly  floating. 

At  first,  Magellan  thought  little  of  this.     He 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  I27 

was  annoyed  not  to  make  greater  speed  ;  but 
there  was  plenty  of  time,  he  thought,  before 
them.  As  weeks  elapsed,  however,  the  calms 
threatened  evils  to  the  adventurers  far  more  seri- 
ous than  mere  delay.  On  examining  his  supplies 
of  provisions,  Magellan  perceived,  to  his  dismay, 
that  they  were  fast  running  short. 

Long  before  this,  he  had  hoped  to  come  upon 
islands  where  his  supplies  could  be  replenished ; 
but  day  after  day  the  same  dreary  expanse  of 
waters,  unbroken  by  so  much  as  a  speck  of  dry 
land,  greeted  his  eyes.  At  last,  however,  an 
island  did  appear  in  sight.  Magellan  eagerly 
ordered  the  ships  to  make  for  it.  They  ap- 
proached, only  to  find  a  heap  of  barren  rocks, 
with  a  few  stunted  trees,  and  uninhabited,  ex- 
cept by  noisy  sea-birds.  Not  even  was  there 
good  anchorage ;  while  all  about  the  ships  swam 
hideous  swarms  of  sharks,  ready  to  seize,  in  their 
vast  and  gaping  jaws,  any  luckless  sailor  who  fell 
into  the  water,  or  even  exposed  himself  in  a 
boat. 

Magellan  was  forced  to  sail  away  from  the 
island  without  adding  a  fish  or  an  herb  to  his 
provisions.     Another   month  passed,  amid  pro- 


128  MAGELLAN. 

voking  calms,  and  out  of  sight  of  land ;  then  an- 
other island  came  in  sight.  This,  too,  proved  bit- 
terly disappointing  ;  for  there  was  little  vegeta- 
tion, and  not  a  living  thing  appeared  on  its 
dismal  and  desolate  surface.  Here,  however, 
some  of  the  sailors  managed  to  land,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  catching  a  few  fish,  which  served  to 
postpone,  for  a  time  at  least,  the  approach  of 
actual  hunger. 

The  fleet  had  now  crossed  the  tropic  of  Capri- 
corn, and  was  rapidly  nearing  the  equator.  The 
heat  grew  intense.  The  sun  blazed  remorselessly 
down  upon  the  tar  who  ventured  up  the  masts. 
Men  fell  fainting  and  sun-stricken  to  the  deck. 
The  platform  actually  burned  under  their  feet; 
the  pitch  which  filled  the  seams  softened  and 
melted,  and  oozed  out. 

What  made  the  heat  still  more  unendurable, 
the  supply  of  fresh  water  was  now  almost  ex- 
hausted ;  what  remained  had  become  so  filthy 
and  nauseous  that  the  wanderers  could  not  drink 
it  without  shuddering,  and  it  often  made  them  ill. 

Then  Magellan  was  grief-stricken  to  be  forced 
to  reduce  the  rations  of  his  brave  and  suffering 
comrades.     The  only  food  left  consisted  of  coarse 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  I29 

biscuit ;  and  these  were,  as  one  who  was  on 
board  says,  ''  reduced  to  powder,  and  full  of 
worms."  They  had  been  gnawed  and  defiled  by 
rats,  and  were  scarcely  eatable.  But  even  such 
food  was  a  rich  and  rare  luxury  compared  to  that 
to  which  the  poor  fellows  were  at  last  reduced. 
In  no  long  time  not  a  biscuit,  not  a  crumb 
remained.  Then  they  were  obliged  to  do 
the  very  thing  that  Magellan  had  spoken 
of,  when  he  said  he  would  go  forward, 
"even  if  they  had  to  eat  the  leather  off  the 
yards."  This  miserable  apology  for  food  was 
now,  indeed,  all  that  was  left.  The  gaunt  and 
famished  sailors  tore  off  the  ox-hides  under  the 
main  yard,  which  had  been  placed  there  to 
protect  the  rigging  from  the  strain  of  the 
yard.  The  leather  was  so  tough  that  the 
hungry  teeth  could  make  no  impression  upon  it. 
They  attached  pieces  of  it  to  strong  cords,  and 
let  them  trail  in  the  sea  for  four  or  five  days. 
When  they  were  thus  soaked  through,  the  sail- 
ors made  a  poor  pretence  of  cooking  the  leather. 
They  placed  it  over  the  fire,  until  it  was  singed, 
and  then  ate  it  greedily. 

When  the  leather  was  gone,   they  devoured 


130  MAGELLAN. 

saw-dust,  and  eagerly  hunted  down  the  very  rats 
that  infested  the  ships,  and  when  they  caught 
one,  quarrelled  fiercely  to  secure  a  bit  of  him. 

It  seemed  as  if  no  misfortune  were  to  be  spared 
the  unhappy  voyagers ;  for,  while  they  were  suf- 
fering all  the  horrors  of  famine,  that  terrible  sea 
distemper,  the  scurvy,  broke  out  in  their  midst. 
The  gums  of  its  victims  swelled,  so  that  they 
could  not  eat  even  the  wretched  food  still  within 
their  reach ;  and  twenty  of  the  sailors  soon  died 
of  actual  starvation.  Others  grew  ill,  and  ere 
long  there  were  scarcely  enough  to  sail  the  ships. 

An  end  came,  however,  to  these  terrible  hard- 
ships at  last.  The  fleet  had  sailed  from  Cape 
Desire  early  in  December.  In  the  first  days  of 
March,  it  came  in  sight  of  some  islands,  that 
rose  green  and  blooming  from  the  bosom  of  the 
sea,  and  even  in  the  distance  gave  such  promise 
of  relief  that  the  adventurers  fell  on  their  knees 
on  deck,  and  fairly  wept  for  joy. 

There  were  three  of  the  islands ;  one  was 
larger  than  the  others,  and  rose  in  wooded  hills 
to  quite  a  height.  Towards  this  Magellan  di- 
rected his  course.  When  the  ships  approached 
to  within  a  mile  of  it,  of  a  sudden  the  water  was 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  I3I 

covered  with  long,  slender  boats,  with  three-cor- 
nered sails,  filled  with  a  multitude  of  fantastic 
figures.  The  canoes  came  swarming  towards  the 
ships,  their  occupants  crying  out  and  making  all 
sorts  of  uncouth  noises,  and  seeming  to  be  not 
in  the  least  afraid  of  the  strangers.  It  delighted 
Magellan  and  his  famished  comrades  to  perceive 
that,  they  brought  with  them  an  abundance  of 
provisions.  The  natives  went  on  board  the  ships 
as  boldly  as  if  they  were  in  the  habit  of  seeing 
Europeans  every  day;  bringing  in  their  arms 
banana  stalks  hung  thick  with  the  luscious  fruit, 
cocoanuts,  and  other  products  of  their  island ; 
and  pretty  soon  the  voyagers  were  devouring 
'these  good  things  with  greedy  eagerness. 

The  natives  were  really  fine-looking  men,  with 
smooth,  olive  skins,  handsome  and  pleasant  faces, 
and  tall,  well-built  forms.  Many  were  quite 
naked  ;  some,  however,  wore  girdles,  or  matted 
aprons  about  the  waist,  and  queer-looking  hats, 
made  of  palm  leaves.  A  few  wore  beards,  and 
the  thick  hair  fell,  in  some  cases,  down  to  the 
waist. 

Magellan  and  his  officers  treated  their  visitors 
with   grateful   good   will,  and   allowed    them   to 


132  MAGELLAN. 

roam  freely  about  the  ships,  which  they  seemed 
anxious  to  do ;  and  ere  long  the  vessels  fairly 
swarmed  with  them  in  every  part.  They  seemed 
perfectly  harmless  and  good-natured,  and  danced 
and  capered  about  wildly,  when  Magellan  gave 
them  some  buttons  and  bells. 

As  he  was  standing  on  the  deck,  watching  their 
pranks  with  an  amused  smile,  one  of  the  sailors 
came  to  him  and  said  that  the  islanders  had 
cunningly  stolen  the  skiff,  which  had  been  fast- 
ened to  the  stern  of  the  "  Trinidad."  Looking 
over  the  side,  Magellan  saw  them  making  off 
with  it.  At  the  same  moment,  other  sailors 
came  up,  and  reported  that  the  natives  were  lay- 
ing hold  of  everything  in  the  ships  to  which  they' 
took  a  fancy,  and  were  carrying  what  they  thus 
appropriated  to  their  boats. 

Magellan  then  ordered  that  they  should  be 
driven  off  the  ships ;  which  was  at  once  done. 
This  evidently  enraged  the  savages  very  much  ; 
for  no  sooner  had  they  got  into  their  boats  than 
they  began  pelting  the  Spaniards  with  stones 
and  burning  torches.  Magellan  then  caused  the 
cannon  to  be  fired  over  their  heads.  This,  at 
first,  produced  the  desired  result.    The  boats  fled, 


CROSSING    THE  PACIFIC.  1 33 

amid  much  shrieking  and  yelling,  to  the  island. 
In  the  night,  however,  they  returned,  and  did 
much  damage  to  the  ships  with  their  rude  missiles. 

The  next  morning  Magellan,  indignant  at  the 
thieving  propensities  of  the  natives,  and  resolved 
to  recover  the  skiff  they  had  stolen — for  he  could 
ill  spare  even  a  small  boat — manned  several 
boats  with  forty  men,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and 
taking  his  place  in  the  foremost,  went  ashore. 
He  found  the  island  a  lovely  one,  overgrown  with 
luxuriant  tropical  fruits  and  plants,  and  adorned 
with  beautiful  forests.  Proceeding  inland  from 
the  shore,  he  soon  came  to  a  native  village,  from 
whence  the  inhabitants,  seeing  him  approach, 
fled  in  dismay.  He  burned  the  greater  part  of 
the  village,  killed  several  of  the  natives,  and  took 
others  prisoners ;  and  then  returned  to  the 
shore,  where  he  found  his  skiff,  with  many 
canoes,  moored  in  an  inlet  out  of  view  of  the 
ships. 

Among  his  prisoners  were  a  number  of  the 
native  women.  These,  Magellan  observed  with 
curiosity  and  interest,  were  pretty  and  delicate, 
much  fairer  than  the  men,  with  loose  and  flowing 
raven   tresses,  which    fell   to   the   very   ground. 


134  MAGELLAN. 

They  had  no  clothing,  except  aprons  made  of  a 
thin  and  pliable  bark ;  while  their  hair  and  faces 
were  perfumed  with  cocoa  oil.  Magellan  learned 
a  great  deal  that  was  singular  about  the  people 
and  the  island,  from  one  of  his  male  prisoners, 
who  was  very  quick-witted,  and  who  conversed 
with  him  by  signs.  It  appeared  that  they  sub- 
sisted chiefly  on  figs,  sweet  canes,  birds,  and  fish. 
Both  men  and  women  were  very  fond  of  fishing 
in  the  sea,  which  was,  indeed,  their  chief  pastime ; 
their  fish-hooks  were  made  of  fish-bones.  While 
the  men  worked  in  the  fields, the  women  stayed 
at  home  in  their  huts,  and  made  clothing  and 
baskets  of  palm-leaves.  The  huts  were  built  of 
wood,  and  thatched  with  fig-leaves ;  their  beds 
had  palm-leaf  mats  for  covering,  instead  of 
blankets  and  quilts;  the  beds  themselves  being 
simply  bundles  of  soft,  fine  palm  straw.  As  for 
weapons,  they  used  long  sticks,  with  sharpened 
and  pointed  fish-bones  at  the  end.  The  boats 
which  Magellan  found  in  the  cove  struck  him  as 
very  odd.  They  were  long,  narrow  affairs,  painted 
red,  black,  or  white.  The  masts  consisted  of 
crooked  poles,  which  supported  palm-leaf  sails, 
shaped  like  lateen  sails,  both  fore  and  aft.     For 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  135 

paddles  they  had  devices  that  looked  like 
shovels. 

Magellan  remained  off  these  islands  three  days. 
He  gave  them  the  name  of  the  "  Isles  of  Thieves," 
because  of  the  depredations  of  the  natives ;  and 
the  islands  are  known  by  that  name  to  this  day. 

On  weighing  anchor,  and  proceeding  on  its  way 
westward,  the  fleet  was  followed  by  great  crowds 
of  the  natives,  in  innumerable  boats,  who  chaffed 
the  Spaniards  by  holding  fish  up  to  them,  as  if 
to  taunt  them  with  their  hunger.  Then  they 
would  throw  showers  of  stones,  most  of  which, 
however,  fell  harmlessly  into  the  water,  short 
of  the  ships.  They  rowed  so  swiftly  and  skil- 
fully that  it  was^  impossible  to  hit  their  boats 
with  the  cannon  balls;  nor  did  they  desist  and 
return  to  their  islands  until  the  fleet  was  far  out 
to  sea. 

Magellan  had  now  reached  the  eastern  edge  of 
that  vast  cluster  of  islands  which  comprises  the 
Asiatic  archipelago.  He  soon  found  himself  con- 
stantly passing  among  groups  of  them  ;  but,  as  he 
had  taken  care  to  replenish  his  store  of  pro- 
visions and  water  before  sailing  from  the  Isles  of 
Thieves,  and  was   uncertain  what  his  reception 


136  MAGELLAN. 

might  be,  he  did  not  care  to  cast  anchor  among 
them.  In  ten  days  he  found  the  islands  becoming 
more  dense,  larger,  and  more  luxurious  in  vegeta- 
tion ;  and  now  he  came  to  one  that  seemed  so  invit- 
ing, that  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  land. 
The  group  of  islands  among  which  he  was  then 
passing  he  named  the  St.  Lazarus  Islands,  be- 
cause it  was  on  the  day  of  that  saint  that  he 
reached  them ;  but  they  are  now  known  as  the 
Philippine  Islands.  The  island  at  which  Magel- 
lan cast  anchor  and  went  ashore  proved  to  be 
uninhabited ;  and  he  was  not  sorry  for  this, 
as  he  might  land  in  peace,  and  rest  his  crews. 
He  caused  two  large  tents  to  be  set  uj)on  the 
smooth  beach,  and  the  sick  sailors  were  taken  out 
of  the  ships  and  carried  into  them.  There 
they  were  carefully  tended,  and  most  of  them, 
in  the  balmy  air,  and  supplied  with  good  food, 
soon  recovered  their  customary  vigor.  On 
this  island,  too,  Magellan  found  plenty  of  pure 
water,  which  had  long  been  one  of  his  direst 
needs. 

Not  far  from  this  island  was  a  larger  one 
which  is  now  called  Samar.  Magellan  had  not 
been  at  anchor  more  than  two  days,  when  one 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  13/ 

of  the  sailors  espied  a  long  canoe,  which  was 
rapidly  approaching  the  shore  where  the  Span- 
iards were.  Magellan,  with  some  of  his  officers, 
walked  boldly  down  to  the  beach,  as  if  to  meet  the 
new  comers;  at  the  same  time  cautioning  his 
men  not  to  move  or  speak  without  his  per- 
mission. 

The  natives  sprang  fearlessly  upon  the  beach, 
and  went  directly  towards  Magellan,  whom  they 
appeared  to  recognize  at  once  as  the  chief  officer 
of  the  fleet.  As  they  came,  they  capered  and 
danced  about,  and  grinned  with  their  big  mouths, 
showing  rows  of  dazzling  white  teeth,  as  a  token 
of  friendly  welcome.  Magellan  made  signs  to 
them  that  he  was  glad  to  see  them  ;  whereupon, 
a  number  ran  along  the  beach,  calling  out  to  some 
of  their  countrymen,  who  now  appeared  off  the 
island  in  canoes,  and  were  fishing,  to  come  on 
shore. 

It  was  a  strange  scene,  this  meeting  of  Asiatic 
savages,  creamy  in  color,  completely  naked,  were 
it  not  for  the  aprons  of  barks  about  their  waists, 
with  great  masses  of  shaggy  hair,  with  the 
Europeans,  the  chief  of  whom  were  as  elegantly 
attired  as  if  they  were  on  the  point  of  attending 


138  MAGELLAN. 

a  royal  court ;  the  savages  j.uddled  together  on 
one  side,  gazing  curiouslv^  and  every  now  and 
then  jumping  up,  and  uttering  hoarse  exclama- 
tions; and  the  Europeans  standing  in  a  silent  and 
attentive  group,  not  forgetting  to  keep  their 
hands  on  their  weapons  in  case  of  a  sudden 
attack. 

But  the  natives  evidently  had  no  hostile  pur- 
pose in  their  thoughts.  They  brought  some  just- 
caught  and  still  wriggling  fish,  and  laid  them,  with 
many  signs  of  respect,  at  Magellan's  feet.  He 
was  not  less  generous  in  his  turn.  Sending  into 
the  tents  for  some  trinkets,  he  might  soon  have 
been  seen,  in  the  very  midst  of  the  natives,  scat- 
tering among  them  a  number  of  articles  that 
fairly  set  them  wild  with  delight.  There  were 
looking-glasses  and  combs,  red  caps  and  bells, 
toys  of  ivory,  and  gewgaws  of  silverware  and 
brass.  The  natives  were  not  content  with  lav- 
ishing fish  upon  the  strangers.  One  of  their 
canoes  pushed  off,  and  in  a  flash  had  disap- 
peared ;  ere  long,  it  was  seen  returning  as  rapidly 
as  it  went.  Its  occupants  sprang  ashore,  bring- 
ing with  them  a  huge  jar.  Placing  this  before 
Magellan,  they  produced  cups  made  of  cocoanut 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  1 39 

shells,  dipped  into  the  jar,  and  brought  forth  the 
cups  overflowing  with  some  kind  of  liquor. 
Magellan  tasted  it,  and  turning  around,  smiled  and 
nodded  his  head,  as  if  to  say,  *'  It  is  very  nice." 
But  this  was  only  put  on  to  please  his  visitors; 
it  was  really  very  unpleasant  stuff,  a  sort  of  wine 
made  of  palms.  The  natives  drank  it  with  great 
gusto.  Magellan  liked  much  better  the  enor- 
mous figs  they  brought  him,  which  were  sweet 
and  juicy ;  and  the  rich  milk  of  the  cocoanuts, 
which  they  cracked  for  his  delectation. 

The  natives,  indeed,  proved  so  friendly,  that  Ma- 
gellan not  only  secured  from  them  what  provisions 
he  needed,  with  which  to  replenish  his  stores,  but 
learned  a  great  deal  about  that  part  of  the  great 
ocean  where  he  now  found  himself.  He  was 
told  that  there  were  many  larger  islands  ahead, 
all  of  which  were  inhabited  by  tribes  with  various 
traits  and  customs,  and  were  very  rich  in  their 
productions.  He  could  not  doubt  that  he  was 
very  near  the  far-famed  Molucca  Islands,  so 
much  coveted  both  by  his  adopted  country, 
Spain,  and  his  native  country,  Portugal.  It 
seemed  certain  to  him  that  the  vast  Continent  of 
Asia  lay  not  far  to  the  North  of  him ;  those  mys^ 


140  ^  MAGELLAN. 

terious  regions  once  comprising  the  dominions  of 
the  great  Kubla  Khan;  and  that,  by  sailing 
steadily  westward,  he  should  reach  the  shores 
of  Africa,  and  find  the  kingdoms  which  Vasco  da 
Gama  had  visited. 

He  found  that  he  could  trust  his  swarthy  visi- 
tors ;  and  no  longer  hesitated  to  take  them  on 
board  the  ships,  and  show  them  his  cargo  of 
spices  and  gold,  his  cabins,  and  his  armament. 
On  one  occasion,  he  caused  one  of  the  cannon 
on  board  the  "  Trinidad"  to  be  fired ;  which  so 
much  frightened  the  natives,  that  several  of  them 
sprang  overboard  into  the  sea,  and  were  with  dif- 
ficulty rescued. 

At  last,  the  chief  of  the  island  from  whence 
the  natives  came,  himself  paid  a  visit  to  the 
ships  in  state.  He  was  attended  by  many  nobles, 
and  had  his  face  painted ;  while  heavy  gold 
ear-rings  hung  from  his  ears,  and  gold  bracelets 
encircled  his  wrists.  He  was  an  old  man,  with 
gentle  manners,  and  a  pleasant  smile.  With  him 
he  brought  two  boats  laden  with  oranges,  palm 
wine,  and — what  very  much  pleased  Magellan — 
some  chickens. 

Before  sailing  away  from  the  place  where  he 


CROSSING    THE    PACIFIC.  I4I 

had  met  so  pleasant  a  reception,  Magellan  visited 
several  neighboring  islands,  in  each  of  which  he 
was  welcomed  in  a  most  peaceful  and  friendly- 
manner.  On  one  of  these  he  found  people  very 
different  from  those  he  had  seen  at  first.  They 
were  of  a  tawny  complexion,  and  very  fat  and 
sleek-looking;  they  painted  their  bodies  all  over; 
they  had  great  holes  bored  in  their  ears;  and 
wore,  as  did  the  others,  aprons  made  of  bark,  or 
palm-leaves.  They  had  a  habit  of  anointing 
themselves  from  head  to  foot,  with  oil  of  cocoa- 
nuts  and  sesame,  in  order,  as  they  said,  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  sun  and  wind.  Some  of  the 
chief  men  were  arrayed  in  long  gowns  made  of 
cotton,  the  ends  of  which  were  fringed  with  a 
kind  of  silk;  their  weapons  were  daggers  and 
knives,  the  hilts,  in  some  cases,  ornamented  with 
gold;  and  for  fishing,  they  had  harpoons  and 
nets. 

These  savages  had  one  habit  which  greatly 
disgusted  Magellan  and  his  companions.  This 
was  their  habit  of  betel-chewing.  A  sort  of  pear- 
shaped  fruit,  called  areca,  grew  on  the  islands. 
This,  with  some  lime,  they  would  wrap  up  in 
the  betel-leaves,  and  putting  it  into  their  mouths, 


142  MAGELLAN. 

would  chew  eagerly  by  the  hour  together.  It 
had  the  effect  of  keeping  them  continually  ex- 
cited ;  but  when  the  Spaniards  tasted  it,  it  made 
them  very  sick. 

Magellan  remained  among  the  Philippines  a 
week.  The  ships  fortunately  needed  but  few 
repairs;  and  the  great  fruitfulness  of  the  islands 
supplied  him  with  an  ample  abundance  of  pro- 
visions. The  two  springs  on  the  little  island 
yielded  plenty  of  good  water ;  and  the  forests 
on  the  larger  islands  afforded  an  excellent  stock 
of  wood.  It  seemed  as  if  the  trials  of  the  wan- 
derers were  passed,  and  as  if  the  rest  of  their 
Voyage  were  to  be  a  holiday  sail. 


MAGELLAN.  143 


CHAPTER   X. 

MAGELLAN  AMONG  THE  MALAYS. 

T  was  now  the  latter  part  of  March;  in 
that  tropical  region  one  of  the  pleasant- 
est  periods  of  the  year,  when  the  sun  no 
longer  blazed  down  remorselessly,  and  the  superb 
vegetation  of  the  equatorial  lands  displayed  its 
gaudiest  colors. 

As  the  ships  wound  in  among  clusters  of 
islands,  which  were  now  never  out  of  sight  a  sin- 
gle day,  Magellan  thought  he  had  never  seen  so 
many  natural  beauties,  that  he  had  never  imagined 
such  trees,  and  shrubs,  and  flowers,  so  glowing  an 
atmosphere,  so  smooth  and  fair  a  sea  ;  such  beauti- 
ful forests,  jungles,  valleys,  such  fairy  isles,  as  he 
now  beheld. 

He  often  sat  on  deck  at  sunrise,  and  gazed  on 
the  magic  scene ;  observed  the  lovely  islands  as 
one  after  another  was   passed  ;    saw  the  natives 


144  MAGELLAN. 

as  they  ran  about  on  the  shore,  or  huddled  in 
curious  groups  to  watch  the  ships ;  and  inhaled 
the  rich,  dense  perfumes  that  the  breezes  wafted 
from  the  fruitful  fields. 

After  skirting  many  islands,  the  fleet  came,  one 
night,  near  an  island  where  a  great  fire  appeared 
to  be  burning.  The  next  morning  Magellan  an- 
chored just  off  its  shores  ;  and  no  sooner  had  he 
done  so,  than  a  boat  with  eight  men  pulled  out 
from  the  island,  and  approached  the  "Trinidad." 
When  it  came  near,  a  Malay,  whom  Magellan  had 
brought  with  him  as  an  interpreter,  exclaimed  in 
an  excited  voice,  that  the  men  in  the  boat  were 
his  countrymen,  and  that  he  would  speak  to 
them.  Magellan  told  him  to  do  so;  and  the 
Malay,  leaning  over  the  side  of  the  ship,  rattled 
off  some  gibberish  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  The 
men  in  the  boat,  as  soon  as  they  heard  him, 
jumped  up  and  began  to  make  wild  gesticula- 
tions ;  and  when  he  paused,  replied  to  him  in  the 
same  tongue.  The  interpreter  asked  them  to  come 
on  board  the  "  Trinidad  ;"  but  they  replied  that 
they  were  afraid  to  do  so. 

Then  Magellan  caused  a  small  plank  to  be 
brought ;  to  this  he  tied  a  red  cap,  and  some 


MAGELLAN   AMONG   THE   MALAYS.  I45 

trinkets,  and  threw  it  into  the  water  near  the 
boat.  The  natives  seized  the  plank  eagerly; 
and  the  chief  of  them,  detaching  the  cap,  put  it 
on  his  shaggy  head,  and  began  dancing  about  in 
the  boat. 

Presently  they  rowed  rapidly  away ;  and  Ma- 
gellan was  about  to  weigh  anchor  and  proceed 
on  his  voyage,  when  he  saw  two  larger  boats, 
with  many  more  men  in  them,  put  out  from  the 
shore.  As  the  foremost  drew  near  the  "  Trini- 
dad," he  perceived  in  the  centre  of  it  a  tall,  dark 
man,  much  more  richly  dressed  than  his  compan- 
ions, seated  under  an  awning  of  mats.  He  asked 
the  interpreter  who  this  man  could  be ;  the 
Malay  replied  that  he  was  doubtless  the  king 
of  the  island.  Such,  indeed,  he  proved  ;  for  the 
Malay  addressed  him  in  his  own  language,  to 
which  the  swarthy  monarch  readily  replied.  He 
could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  trust  his  royal 
person  on  board  the  flag-ship  ;  but  sent  some 
of  his  courtiers,  whom  Magellan  cordially  wel- 
comed, and  to  whom  he  confided  some  presents 
for  the  king.  In  return,  the  king  sent  him  a  large 
bar  of  solid  gold,  which  made  the  eyes  of  the 
sailors  sparkle ;  and  a  basket  of  ginger. 


14^  MAGELLAN. 

Finding  this  native  prince  so  friendly,  MageL 
Ian  resolved  to  prolong  his  stay  at  the  island, 
which  was  called  Mazzava.  The  ships  moved 
around  into  a  convenient  cove,  quite  near  the 
royal  residence ;  and  now,  every  day,  civilities 
passed  between  the  natives  and  the  Spaniards. 
The  king  was  soon  persuaded  to  go  on  board 
the  **  Trinidad ;"  and  on  his  arrival,  in  great 
state,  one  morning,  he  went  up  to  Magellan,  and 
tenderly  embraced  him.  The  Admiral  had  an 
arm-chair  placed  on  deck  for  his  august  visitor, 
and  entered  into  familiar  conversation  with  him, 
the  Malay  acting  as  interpreter.  The  king  said 
that  he  wished  to  be  "  cassi,  cassi,"  with  Magel- 
lan— that  is,  the  best  of  friends ;  and  in  token  of 
his  amiable  disposition,  he  produced  some  china 
dishes,  on  which  were  rice  and  fish. 

Magellan  was  not  to  be  outdone  in  generosity 
and  politeness  ;  he  gave  the  king  a  robe  of  red 
and  yellow  cloth,  and  a  handsomely  embroidered 
red  cap  ;  seeing  to  it  that  presents  of  knives  and 
mirrors  were  also  made  to  the  king's  attendants. 
Magellan  then  caused  cloths  of  different  colors, 
linen,  and  coral  to  be  brought  and  shown  to  his 
guest;    and   ordered   the   artillery  to   be   fired, 


MAGELLAN    AMONG    THE     MALAYS  14/ 

which  much  pleased  the  king,  who,  having  heard 
guns  fired  before,  was  not  terrified.  The  king, 
seeing  one  of  the  Spaniards  with  a  suit  of  armor 
on,  asked  what  was  the  purpose  of  so  strange  an 
attire ;  whereupon  Magellan  ordered  three  other 
Spaniards  to  strike  the  man  in  armor  with  swords 
and  daggers,  as  hard  as  they  could.  The  king 
observing  that  they  made  no  impression  on  him, 
then  understood  why  armor  was  worn. 

Magellan  took  care  to  let  the  swarthy  monarch 
know  that  he  had  two  hundred  men  who,  thus 
clad  in  armor,  could  fight  without  being  harmed 
by  any  enemy's  weapons. 

Resolved  to  show  the  king  still  further  evidence 
of  the  powers  of  the  Europeans  in  battle,  he  com- 
manded two  of  his  soldiers  to  engage  in  a  mock 
combat  in  fencing.  The  potentate  leaned  for- 
ward in  his  chair,  and  gazed  breathlessly  at  the 
struggle.  He  seemed  amazed  at  the  skill  with 
which  the  soldiers  parried  each  other's  blows,  and 
aimed  rapid  and  deadly  thrusts  at  each  other's 
breasts.  He  examined  the  swords,  Cuirasses 
and  hemlets  which  were  brought  for  his  inspec- 
tion, with  the  deepest  interest. 

Then,  turning  to  Magellan,  whom  he  was  be« 


148  MAGELLAN. 

ginning  to  regard  as  something  more  than  mor- 
tal, he  asked  if  he  had  made  a  long  voyage,  and 
how  he  was  able  to  navigate  his  great  ships 
hither  ?  Magellan  then  showed  the  king  his  charts, 
compass,  quadrants,  and  other  instruments,  and 
explained  their  use  as  well  as  he  could ;  and 
made  the  king  stare  with  wonder,  when  he  told 
him  that  he  had  sailed  for  many  months  with- 
out seeing  a  speck  of  land  in  any  direction. 

The  royal  visit  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a 
bountiful  repast  in  the  Admiral's  cabin,  at  which 
the  best  things  the  ships  afforded,  or  that  had 
been  procured  on  the  islands,  were  served,  daintily 
prepared  and  cooked  by  the  stewards  of  the  fleet. 
The  king  tasted  of  all  the  dishes,  eating  some  of 
them  with  a  keen  relish,  and  making  wry  faces  at 
others.  He  disdained  the  use  of  knives  and 
forks,  but  ate  fast  with  his  fingers.  He  became 
very  merry  after  drinking  some  port  wine,  to 
which  he  took  a  vast  liking,  and  once  more  em- 
bracing Magellan,  swore  eternal  friendship  for 
him  and  his  mighty  sovereignty,  the  king  of 
Spain. 

A  day  or  two  after,  it  was  arranged  that  two 
of  Magellan's  principal  men  should  go  on  shore, 


MAGELLAN    AMONG    THE    MALAYS.  I49 

visit  the  king's  house,  and  see  the  town  and  the 
the  natives.  One  of  these  was  Antonio  Pigafetta, 
an  accomplished,  courtly  Italian,  a  cherished  friend 
of  Magellan;  who,  years  afterwards,  wrote  the 
best  account  that  exists  of  Magellan's  voyage 
and  exploits. 

As  soon  as  Pigafetta  and  his  companion  had 
landed  on  the  island,  the  king  approached  them, 
and  lifted  his  hands  to  the  sky ;  and  they  did  the 
same.  This,  it  appears,  was  the  way  the  king 
had  of  saying,  "  You  are  right  welcome."  Then 
he  conducted  his  visitors  to  an  inlet,  the  shores 
of  which  grew  thick  with  tall  canes,  and  where  a 
long  boat  was  moored ;  and  made  motions  to 
them  to  step  on  board,  and  take  their  seats  on 
the  little  deck  in  the  aft  end.  The  royal  at- 
tendants stood  around,  with  their  swords  and 
spears.  Presently  some  roast  pig  and  wine  were 
brought,  and  with  these  his  majesty  regaled 
them.  Pigafetta  noticed  that  whenever  there 
was  any  wine  left  in  the  cups,  it  was  poured  back 
carefully  into  the  vase  again.  The  islanders  were 
evidently  very  economical.  Their  way  of  drink- 
ing was  curious.  They  first  raised  their  hands 
aloft ;  then  took  the  cup  in  their  right  hand,  while 


150  MAGELLAN. 

they  held  out  the  left  towards  their  compan- 
ions. The  king,  just  before  drinking,  clinched 
his  fist,  and  thrust  it  close  to  Pigafetta's  face ; 
but  the  latter,  perceiving  that  it  was  a  friendly, 
and  not  a  hostile  motion,  returned  the  singular 
compliment. 

When  the  two  guests  had  feasted  to  the  top 
of  their  bent  off  roast  pig,  rice,  and  broth,  they 
were  conducted  to  the  royal  palace.  A  poor-look- 
ing palace,  indeed,  it  was ;  a  long,  ricketty  build- 
ing, which  reminded  Pigafetta  of  the  barns  in  his 
own  country,  thatched  with  fig  and  palm-leaves. 
It  rested  on  heavy  timbers  and  posts,  and  a  flight 
of  steps  reached  to  its  first  story  from  the  out- 
side. On  entering  the  chief  apartment  of  the 
king,  Pigafetta  observed  a  plain  floor,  covered 
with  mats,  and  supplied  with  rude,  low  tables. 

No  sooner  were  the  strangers,  the  king,  and 
the  courtiers  seated  on  the  mats,  than  more  food 
and  drink  was  brought.  These  people  seemed, 
indeed,  forever  eating  and  drinking.  This  time 
Pigafetta  and  his  comrade  were  treated  to  roast 
fish  and  ginger,  which  really  tasted  quite  nice. 
Pigafetta's  companion,  indeed,  enjoyed  his  supper 
so  much,  especially  the    wine — which    was     far 


MAGELLAN  AMONG  THE  MALAYS.      I5I 

more  palatable  than  that  they  had  got  at  the  other 
islands — that  he  grew  very  tipsy ;  and  made  so 
much  noise  that  Pigafetta  was  obliged  to  have 
him  carried  to  one  corner  of  the  room,  and  laid 
on  a  mat.  Here  he  was  soon  snoring  soundly, 
in  a  deep  slumber. 

Presently  the  prince,  the  king's  son  and  heir, 
a  comely,  cream-colored  young  man,  came  in,  and 
his  father  made  him  sit  at  Pigafetta's  side.  As 
soon  as  it  was  dark,  torches  made  of  the  gum  of 
a  tropical  tree,  and  wrapped  in  palm  and  fig- 
leaves,  were  brought  and  lighted ;  and  these  lit 
up  a  very  curious  and  unwonted  scene.  The  king 
now  went  away  to  his  own  sleeping-apartment, 
leaving  the  prince  with  Pigafetta,  to  sleep  in  that 
where  they  had  supped.  On  retiring  his  majesty 
kissed  Pigafetta's  hands. 

The  Italian  found  his  bed  to  consist  of  some 
pillows  and  cushions  stuffed  with  leaves.  It  was 
a  rough  place  for  repose ;  but,  having  been  used 
to  the  trials  of  the  sea,  he  minded  it  little,  and 
slept  soundly  until  he  was  awakened  by  some  of 
the  royal  attendants.  He  and  his  companion 
breakfasted  gayly  with  the  king;  and  while  they 
were  at  the  table,  there  appeared  another  potent- 


152  MAGELLAN. 

ate,  a  brother  of  their  host,  who  was  the  king  o{ 
a  neighboring  island.  This  personage  impressed 
Pigafetta  very  much.  He  was  a  tall  and  very 
handsome  man,  with  raven-black  hair  that  fell 
in  thick  clusters  about  his  shoulders,  and  a  dark, 
copper  complexion,  large  and  brilliant  black  eyes, 
and  an  erect  and  symmetrical  figure.  Upon  his 
head  he  wore  a  kind  of  turban  of  rich  silk,  finely 
embroidered ;  he  was  attired  in  a  silken  tunic 
that  reached  his  knees ;  two  enormous  gold  rings 
hung  from  his  ears;  at  his  side  was  suspended 
a  dagger,  the  handle  of  which  was  solid  gold,  and 
the  sheath  carved  wood;  while  his  person  ex- 
haled a  strong  and  agreeable  perfume.  When 
this  king  spoke,  Pigafetta  perceived  that  on  each 
of  his  teeth  were  stuck  little  round  disks  of  gold, 
which  made  his  mouth  fairly  shine  when  he 
opened  it.  Pigafetta  was  told  that  the  island  on 
which  he  ruled  had  gold  mines,  from  which  great 
nuggets  of  the  precious  metal  were  often  ex- 
tracted. 

Pigafetta  and  his  companion  then  returned 
to  the  flag-ship,  carrying  this  monarch  with 
them.  Magellan  received  him  as  cordially  as 
he  had  received  his  brother,  and  he  went  away 


MAGELLAN     AMONG    THE    MALAYS.  I53 

fully  as  much  delighted  with  the  Spaniards  as  his 
brother  had  been.  Easter  had  now  come,  and 
Magellan,  who  was  a  good  Catholic,  and  through- 
out his  voyage  had  never  omitted  to  observe 
each  festivity  of  the  Church  as  it  came,  resolved 
to  have  a  solemn  mass  performed,  in  honor  of  the 
anniversary  of  the  rising  of  Christ.  He  therefore 
sent  a  message  to  the  king  of  Mazzava,  inform- 
ing him  that  the  voyagers  were  going  on  shore, 
not  to  visit  him,  but  to  hold  a  religious  festival. 
He  invited  the  two  kings  and  their  courtiers  to 
be  present,  and  to  join  in  the  devotions  of  the 
Europeans,  if  they  saw  fit. 

It  was  an  impressive  scene  on  that  brilliant, 
warm  Easter  Sunday  morning,  on  the  shore  of  a 
tropical  isle,  with  its  lofty  palms  and  luxuriant 
shrubs  growing  almost  to  the  water's  edge; 
thousands  of  miles  from  the  nearest  Christian 
church,  in  the  midst  of  regions  given  over  to 
idol  worship  and  the  densest  barbarism  !  There 
were  the  weather-beaten  sailors,  rough  and  rude, 
attired  in  such  show  of  good  clothing  as  they 
could  still  afford;  there  were  the  officers,  in  more 
imposing  costume,  their  swords  hung  at  their 
sides,  their  velvet    cloaks   thrown    across   their 


154        '  MAGELLAN. 

shoulders,  their  heads  adorned  with  sashed  and 
plumed  caps ;  there  was  Magellan,  with  serious 
countenance,  awaiting  the  beginning  of  the  rite; 
and  there,  strangest  of  all,  stood  the  two  swarthy 
kings,  with  painted  faces,  decked  out  in  fantas- 
tic and  savage  finery,  surrounded  by  their  dark- 
featured  and  half-nude  courtiers,  watching  with 
keen  interest  the  scene  that  was  being  en- 
acted before  them.  On  the  smooth  strand  an 
altar  had  been  set  up ,  with  lighted  candles,  and 
lace  draperies,  and  such  other  ornaments  as  had 
been  brought  for  religious  purposes  on  the  voy- 
age; and  before  it  now  appeared  two  priests, 
with  shaven  heads  and  long  embroidered  copes. 
Just  before  the  mass  began,  Magellan  advanced 
to  the  two  kings  ;  and  taking  his  place  between 
them,  gently  sprinkled  them  with  musk-rose 
water.  Then  the  cannon  boomed  from  the  ships; 
and  this  deafening  noise  was  succeeded  by  the 
clear  voices  of  the  priests  rising  in  the  intonation 
of  the  sacred  words.  At  one  period  of  the  cere- 
mony, the  Christians  went  forward  and  kissed  a 
cross,  held  by  one  of  the  priests;  and  their  ex- 
ample was  followed  by  the  barbarian  monarchs 
and  their  subjects.    When  the  host  was  elevated, 


MAGELLAN  AMONG  THE  MALAYS.     I55 

all,  including  the  natives,  prostrated  themselves 
on  the  gro.und  ;  and  at  this  moment  the  cannon 
once  more  pealed  forth  from  the  decks  of  the 
ships. 

Mass  over,  Magellan  ordered  that  the  more 
lively  and  worldly  festivities  should  begin;  and 
the  kings  watched  with  wonder  and  delight  the 
skilful  fencing,  and  the  rou^:jh  martial  sports,  in 
which  the  Spaniards  now  lustily  engaged.  They 
were  amazed  at  the  strength  of  the  wrestlers; 
witnessed  breathlessly  the  shooting  matches,  for 
which  targets  were  set  up  on  the  strand;  and 
looked  on  eagerly  while  rough  games  of  many 
kinds  were  played  by  the  strangers. 

There  was  one  more  task  for  Magellan  to  per- 
form, ere  he  left  these  hospitable  isles.  He  was 
now  in  regions,  the  discovery  and  possession  of 
which  Spain  and  Portugal  disputed  between 
them.  Although  himself  by  birth  a  Portuguese, 
Magellan  owed  now  his  allegiance  to  the  king 
of  Spain,  who  had  trusted  him,  and  confided 
to  him  the  command  of  the  fleet.  As  the  two 
countries  aspired  to  divide  the  eastern  world  be- 
tween them,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  have  a 
care  for  the  interests  of  the  sovereign  he  served, 


156  MAGELLAN. 

and  to  take  possesion  of  the  places  where  he 
landed. 

Not  very  far  from  the  shore  where  mass  had 
been  celebrated,  rose  a  lofty  and  verdant  hill, 
the  summit  of  which,  however,  was  quite  bare. 
It. was  the  highest  eminence  on  the  island;  the 
top  could  be  discerned  from  a  great  distance, 
by  a  ship  at  sea.  Upon  the  summit  Magellan  re- 
solved to  erect  a  cross,  surmounted  by  a  wooden 
crown,  as  a  token  that  he  had  taken  possession 
of  the  island  in  the  name  of  the  Spanish  king. 

It  was  not  difficult  to  persuade  the  king  of 
Mazzava  to  allow  him  to  do  this.  The  barbarian 
monarch  was  told  that  King  Charles  had  com- 
manded such  crosses  to  be  raised  wherever  his 
voyagers  went ;  that  if,  in  future,  any  Spanish 
ships  came  to  Mazzava,  they  would  know,  by  the 
cross,  that  it  was  a  friendly  country,  and  would 
commit  no  violence  on  the  people  ;  and  that  if 
any  of  his  subjects  were  ever  ill-treated  by  Span- 
iards, they  would  make  full  reparation,  as  soon  as 
the  cross  was   shown  to  them. 

Magellan  did  not  forget  to  add  a  pious  lesson 
to  these  persuasions.  He  assured  his  royal  host 
that  the  cross  was  the  symbol  of  the  Christian 


MAGELLAN  AMONG  THE  MALAYS.      I57 

deity ;  and  that,  if  he  and  his  people  would,  at 
the  approach  of  danger,  fall  down,  and  adore  it, 
no  harm  could  come  to  them  ;  neither  thunder, 
lightning,  nor  tempest  could  injure  them. 

The  king  and  his  brother,  the  other  king, 
readily  consented  that  the  cross  should  be  erected  ; 
whereupon  Magellan,  attended  by  fifty  of  his 
sturdiest  men,  armed  to  the  teeth,  several  of 
whom  carried  the  heavy  cross,  slowly  ascended 
the  hill.  With  him  went  the  two  kings  and 
their  retinues. 

Arrived  at  the  summit,  the  Spaniards  dug  a 
deep  hole ;  the  cross  was  placed  in  position,  and 
the  hole  was  filled  up.  Magellan  advanced,  and 
knelt  before  the  cross  a  moment ;  then,  rising, 
and  taking  off  his  cap,  he  declared  the  island  to 
be  the  dominion  of  the  king  of  Spain. 

Soon  after,  Magellan  went  to  bid  adieu  to  the 
two  monarchs,  who  overwhelmed  him,  not  only 
with  an  affectionate  reception,  which  they  ex- 
pressed by  touching  his  forehead  and  kissing  his 
hands,  but  with  an  abundance  of  the  good  things 
their  fruitful  land  afforded.  They  described  the 
islands  by  which  he  would  pass  on  his  way,  told 
him  of  the  traits  of  their  inhabitants,  which  to 


158  MAGELLAN. 

avoid,  and  in  which  he  might  expect  a  hospitable 
welcome ;  and  at  the  last  moment,  the  king  of 
Mazzava  resolved  to  accompany  him,  at  least  as 
far  as  the  inland  of  Sebu. 

The  ships  were  now  provided,  not  only  with 
grain,  water,  and  wood,  but  an  ample  store  of 
figs,  cocoanuts,  lemons,  pigs,  fowl,  ginger  and 
rice ;  what  few  repairs  they  needed  were  com. 
pleted  ;  and  on  a  pleasant  morning  in  April,  Ma- 
gellan sailed  away  from  Mazzava,  delighted  with 
the  reception  he  had  met  with  there,  and  his 
heart  buoyant  with  the  hope  of  a  successful  con- 
tinuation and  ending  of  his  voyage.  With  him, 
on  board  the  flag-ship,  went  the  king  of  Mazzava, 
and  several  of  his  courtiers. 


MAGELLAN.  ~  I59 


CHAPTER  XI. 

ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU. 

HE  island  of  Sebu,  Magellan  was  told, 
was  the  most  beautiful  and  fruitful  of 
the  vast  labyrinth  of  islands  which  clus- 
ter in  the  Archipelago.  It  lay  some  leagues  west- 
ward of  Mazzava;  and  was  ruled  over  by  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  and  powerful  potentates  in 
the  Eastern  seas. 

To  this  island,  therefore,  he  determined  to  re- 
pair. It  would  be  one  of  the  fairest  provinces 
which  he  could  offer  to  King  Charles  ;  and  he 
would  do  all  in  his  power  to  engage  the  friend- 
ship and  alliance  of  its  ruler. 

On  the  way,  the  weather  was  pleasant,  and  no 
accident  occurred  to  mar  the  pleasure  of  the  voy- 
age. Magellan  conversed  much,  through  the 
Malay  interpreter,  with  the  friendly  king  who 
had  trusted  himself  with  him,  and  learned  many 


i6o 


MAGELLAN. 


carious  things  about  the  peoples  and  customs  of 
the  islands  by  which  they  sailed. 

The  adventurers  observed  everything  with  the 
deepest  interest ;  and  many  were  the  strange 
sights  and  scenes  which,  in  this  far-off"  region, 
greeted  their  eyes.  They  saw  birds  flying 
through  the  air,  ''as  large  as  eagles,"  one  of 
which  they  killed,  and  ate  with  good  relish  ;  they 
saw  doves  of  various  brilliant  hues,  parrots  with 
gorgeous  plumage,  and  long-tailed  blackbirds  as 
large  as  hens ;  while  on  the  shores  of  the  islands 
they  espied  tortoises  which,  compared  with  those 
of  Europe,  were  enormous. 

It  was  on  a  Sunday,  about  noon,  that  the  fleet 
came  in  sight  of  the  much  talked-of  island  of 
Sebu.  Skirting  its  shores,  the  Spaniards  saw 
many  closely-built  and  busy  villages,  some  close 
to  the  beach,  others  nestled  in  picturesque  val- 
leys, at  the  foot  of  green,  sloping  hills.  They 
sailed  for  some  distance  along  the  cogst,  until 
finally  they  reached  a  pretty  bay,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  situated  the  principal  town  of  the 
island. 

As  the  ships  entered  the  bay,  Magellan  ordered 
that  the  standards  should  be  run  up  to  the  mast- 


ADVENTURES    AT     SEBU.  -       l6l 

head,  the  sails  lowered,  and  the  cannon  fired.  A 
vast  crowd  of  natives  speedily  assembled  along 
the  shore.  When  they  heard  the  deafening  re- 
port of  the  cannon,  echoing  among  the  hills,  they 
huddled  together  in  a  terrified  mass,  and  made 
all  haste  to  regain  the  town. 

Magellan  then  sent  an  intelligent  young  Portu- 
guese whom  he  had  brought  with  him,  and  the 
Malay  interpreter,  on  shore,  to  seek  the  presence 
of  the  king  of  Sebu,  and  assure  him  that  the 
fleet  had  come  on  a  friendly  errand. 

As  they  advanced  from  the  shore,  and  ap- 
proached the  town,  they  saw  the  inhabitants 
fleeing  from  them  in  all  directions,  and  shutting 
themselves  up  in  their  houses.  The  young 
Portuguese,  however,  succeeded  in  overtaking 
one  old  man,  who  could  not  move  as  fast  as  the 
rest ;  and  made  him  know,  through  the  interpre- 
ter, what  his  errand  was.  The  old  man  soon  re- 
covered from  his  fright,  and  said  he  would  go 
and  deliver  the  message  of  the  strangers  to  his 
sovereign.  In  no  long  time  he  returned,  and 
told  the  Portuguese  and  his  companion  to  follow 
him  into  the  royal  presence. 

They  found  the  king  seated  on  a  wide  mat,  in 


l62  MAGELLAN. 

a  court  of  his  palace ;  which  was  a  low  building, 
erected  in  the  form  of  a  quadrangle.  He  was 
surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  courtiers ;  while  at 
his  feet  lay,  in  languid  attitudes,  his  dark-brown 
wives,  whose  raven  hair  fell  on  their  shoulders, 
and  whose  large  black  eyes  stared  curiously  at 
the  white  men. 

The  Malay  interpreter  advanced  and  knelt  be- 
fore the  king,  who  lifted  his  hands  heavenward 
in  token  of  welcome.  Then  the  Malay  spoke  in 
his  own  tongue,  which  the  king  understood  at 
once.  He  was  assured  that  the  fleet  had  come 
on  an  errand  of  peace  and  good-will. 

"What,  then,"  asked  the  monarch,  "are  you 
seeking  here  ?" 

"  My  master,"  replied  the  Malay,  "  is  a  captain 
of  the  greatest  king  in  the  world,  and  hath  come, 
by  his  king's  command,  to  discover  the  far-famed 
Molucca  islands.  Hearing  of  your  courtesy  and 
good  renown,  he  has  come  hither  to  visit  you, 
and  to  exchange  the  merchandize  he  has  brought 
for  such  provisions  as  you  are  willing  to  provide 
him." 

"Your  master,"  responded  the  shrewd  prince, 
"is  right  welcome.     But  we  have  a  custom,  that 


ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU.  163 

all  ships  that  enter  our  port  pay  tribute.  Only 
four  days  ago,  a  ship  came  here  from  Siam,  laden 
with  gold  and  slaves,  and  paid  the  tribute  I  ex- 
acted. Here,"  added  the  king,  ''  is  a  Siamese 
merchant  who  came  in  her."  So  saying,  he 
pointed  to  a  strange-looking  personage,  with 
sallow  face  and  squinting  eyes,  but  very  richly 
dressed,  who  was  standing  by. 

"  But  my  captain,"  replied  the  Malay,  drawing 
himself  up  proudly,  "  will  not  pay  tribute  to  any 
sovereign  in  the  world ;  being,  as  he  is,  the  sub- 
ject of  the  greatest  of  them.  If  you  wish  peace, 
you  shall  have  it.  But  if  you  had  rather  have 
war,  it  shall  be  so." 

The  brow  of  the  dusky  potentate  darkened  at 
this  bold  reply,  and  for  a  moment  he  seemed  on 
the  point  of  ordering  the  strangers  to  be  seized. 
He  looked  around  among  his  people,  and  half- 
rose  from  his  mat.  His  hand  was  already  clutch- 
ing a  short  sword  which  hung  at  his  girdle,  and 
the  Portuguese  and  Malay  had  grasped  their  dag- 
gers, when  the  Siamese  merchant,  coming  for- 
ward, and  making  a  profound  salaam,  spoke: 

"  Look  well,  O  king,*'  said  he,  "  to  what  you 
do.     These  people  are  the  same  that  conquered 


164  MAGELLAN 

Calicut,  Malacca,  and  all  the  greater  India.  If 
you  receive  them  hospitably,  and  proffer  them  of 
your  abundant  good  things,  you  will  find  your- 
self the  better  for  it.  They  will  be  your  friends 
and  allies.  But  if  you  treat  them  ill,  it  will  be 
all  the  worse  for  you  ;  so  the  people  of  Calicut 
have  found  out,  to  their  cost." 

"  My  sovereign,"  added  the  interpreter,  who 
had  understood  all  that  the  Siamese  had  said, 
**  is  a  much  greater  ruler  than  the  king  of  Portu- 
gal, who  conquered  India.  He  is  not  only  king 
of  Spain,  but  emperor  of  Christendom.  If  you 
do  not  well  treat  his  captain,  he  will,  another 
time,  send  hither  enough  men  and  ships  to  sweep 
you  and  your  subjects  off  the  face  of  the  earth." 

These  speeches  seemed  to  impress  the  king  of 
Sebu  very  much;  he  declared  that  he  would 
talk  with  his  chief  advisers,  and  would  deliver 
his  response  to  Magellan's  messengers  the  next 
day.  He  then  gave  proof  that  he  had  recovered 
his  good  temper,  by  ordering  a  bountiful  feast  to 
be  set  before  the  white  men  ;  who  soon  after  re- 
turned to  the  flag-ship,  and  apprized  Magellan  of 
what  had  passed. 

The  next  day  the  messengers  returned  to  the 


ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU.  165 

island,  where  the  king  received  them  in  a  large, 
open  space,  between  the  houses.  He  was  squat 
ted  on  a  palm  mat,  and  was  quite  naked,  except 
that  he  had  a  wide  cloth  about  his  waist,  and  a 
loose  turban,  embroidered  with  silk,  on  his  head. 
About  his  neck  hung  a  heavy  chain,  while  in  his 
ears  were  two  gold  rings,  studded  with  precious 
stones.  The  king  was  a  little,  fat,  jovial-looking 
man,  though  the  expression  of  his  countenance 
was  marred  by  tatooing.  When  the  visitors  ap- 
proached, he  was  eating  tortoise  eggs  from  some 
china  dishes;  taking,  ever}^  now  and  then,  a  long 
drink  from  a  jug  of  palm  wine,  which  he  sucked 
through  a  cane  tube.  Asking  them  to  sit  by 
him,  he  proceeded  at  once  to  overwhelm  them 
with  questions,  which  he  asked  eagerly,  bending 
towards  the  interpreter  to  catch  his  replies. 

Was  there  more  than  one  commander  in  the 
ships?  Was  he  to  be  required  to  pay  tribute? 
How  many  men  were  there  on  board  ?  and  so  on. 
The  young  Portuguese  replied  that  Magellan  did 
not  ask  any  tribute,  but  only  desired  to  trade 
with  the  articles  he  had  brought  from  Spain. 
The  king  seemed  at  last  fully  satisfied  ;  for,  prick- 
ing his  right  arm,  he  let  a  little  blood  flow  upon 


i66 


MAGELLAN. 


a  fig-leaf,  and  wrapping  it  up,  begged  the  Portu- 
guese to  carry  it  to  Magellan,  as  a  token  that  he 
would  be  a  faithful  friend  of  the  king  of  Spain. 
He  asked  a  similar  token  from  the  Admiral  which 
the  Portuguese  smilingly  promised. 

After  this,  everything  went  on  swimmingly  be- 
tween the  voyagers  and  the  people  of  Sebu.  The 
king  of  Mazzava  went  ashore  on  a  visit  to  his 
brother  monarch,  and  on  his  return,  told  Magel- 
lan that  the  king  of  Sebu  was  preparing  a  large 
quantity  of  provisions  for  him ;  and  that  in  the 
afternoon  two  young  princes,  nephews  of  the 
king,  with  their  retinues,  would  come  on  board 
to  present  them. 

Magellan  prepared  to  welcome  these  young 
princes  in  a  manner  worthy  of  their  rank  and  im- 
portance, and  to  show  his  gratitude  for  the  good 
things  they  brought.  A  handsome  carpet  was 
spread  on  the  deck,  and  mats  were  laid  on  either 
side.  On  the  carpet  was  placed  a  red  velvet 
chair  for  Magellan  himself ;  and  leather  chairs,  for 
the  other  captains  and  ofificers,  were  ranged  on 
the  mats.  The  standards  floated  from  the  masts; 
and  the  flag-ship  presented  a  gay,  holiday  aspect. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  boats 


ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU.  167 

conveying  the  princes  were  seen  to  put  out  from 
the  shore;  Magellan  and  the  rest  took  their 
places;  and  soon  the  dusky  and  gaudiy-dressed 
group  were  seated  in  front  of  the  Admiral.  At 
Magellan's  side  stood  the  faithful  Malay  inter- 
preter, who  rendered  his  conversation  with  the 
princes  easy. 

"  Is  it  your  custom,"  asked  Magellan,  of  the 
elder  and  more  important  of  the  princes,  "to 
speak  in  public  about  matters  of  state?  And 
have  you  the  power  to  conclude  peace  between 
us  and  the  king  of  Sebu  ?*' 

The  prince  bowed  assent  to  both  these  ques- 
tions. 

''  Then  I  would  have  you  know,"  resumed  Ma- 
gellan, "  that  I  ardently  desire  this  peace,  and 
will  pray  God  to  confirm  it." 

"  I  hear  the  captain's  words  with  delight,"  was 
the  prince's  answer;''  I  have  never  heard  a  stranger 
speak  so  gently." 

Magellan  then  questioned  his  royal  guest  about 
many  things.  He  asked,  ''  Who  will  succeed  your 
king,  on  his  death  ?" 

"  The  king  has  no  son,"  was  the  reply,  ''  but 
several  daughters.     I  am  the  king's  nephew,  and 


1 68 


MAGELLAN. 


have  married  his  eldest  daughter ;  and  I  shall  be 
his  successor." 

The  prince  also  told  him  that  when  fathers  and 
mothers  in  Sebu  grew  old,  they  were  greatly  neg- 
lected, and  their  children  ordered  them  about  as 
if  they  were  slaves. 

The  discoverers  and  conquerors  of  the  days  in 
which  Magellan  lived  thought  it  one  of  their 
first  duties  to  convert  the  heathen  peoples 
whom  they  encountered  to  Christianity.  They 
sometimes  did  this  by  persuasion ;  and  not  sel- 
dom by  force.  When  the  savage  kings  and  their 
peoples  refused  to  abandon  their  religion  for  that 
of  the  European,  they  were  often  compelled  to 
accept  the  new  faith  by  fire  and  sword. 

Magellan,  therefore,  lost  no  opportunity  of 
trying  to  plant  Christianity  among  the  rude 
natives  of  the  tropical  isles  ;  and  the  first  task  to 
accomplish  was  to  convert  their  rulers. 

He  now  began  to  persuade  the  young  princes 
to  embrace  the  Christian  religion.  Reproving 
them  for  the  ill-treatment  which  they  declared  the 
old  people  suffered  in  their  kingdom,  he  said: 

*'Our  God,  who  made  heaven  and  earth,  and 
all   things  therein,   has  commanded  that  every 


ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU.  169 

one  should  yield  obedience  and  respect  to  his 
father  and  mother;  and  you  maybe  sure  that 
whoever  does  otherwise  shall.be  condemned  to 
eternal  fire." 

The  princes  listened  earnestly  to  all  that  he 
said,  and  finally  declared  that,  if  the  king  would 
consent,  they  would  become  Christians. 

"You  must  not  accept  our  faith,"  said  Magel- 
lan, "  from  "fear  of  us,  or  in  order  to  please  us. 
If  you  wish  to  become  Christians,  you  must  do 
so  willingly.  No  harm  shall  be  done  you  if  you 
do  not  embrace  our  religion ;  but  those  who  do, 
shall  be  more  loved,  and  better  treated,  than  the 
others.  Moreover,  if  you  become  Christians,  I 
will  leave  you  arms,  as  my  king  has  commanded, 
with  which  to  defend  yourselves  from  your 
enemies." 

The  princes  declared  that  they  would  embrace 
Christianity  of  their  own  free  wills ;  whereupon 
Magellan,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  warmly  em- 
braced them,  and  caused  the  priests  to  bless 
them.  All  on  board  now  sat  down  to  a  bounti- 
ful feast;  after  which  the  princes  and  Magellan 
exchanged  presents.  The  princes  brought  forth 
a  large  basket  of  rice,  figs,  goats,  and  fowl ;  and 


I/O  MAGELLAN. 

Magellan  returned  to  them  cloth,  red  caps,  and 
cups  of  gilt  glass,  l^esides  a  robe  of  yellow  and 
violet  silk  for  their  royal  uncle. 

Theyoung  Portuguese  and  the  Malay  were  now- 
sent  on  shore  every  day  to  converse  with  the 
king,  to  arrange  for  a  treaty  of  peace,  to  estab- 
lish trade,  and  to  prepare  the  monarch  and  his 
courtiers  for  their  reception  into  the  Christian 
faith.  They  were  treated,  whenever  they  went, 
with  trust  and  hospitality.  On  one  occasion,  the 
elder  of  the  young  princes  conducted  them  to  his 
house,  where  he  provided  various  amusements  for 
them.  Among  these  was  a  very  pretty  dance, 
performed  by  four  lovely  young  girls ;  who,  as 
they  danced,  played  softly  and  sweetly  upon 
musical  instruments,  the  like  of  which  the  Portu- 
guese had  never  before  seen.  Another  time, 
when  one  of  the  Spanish  sailors  had  died,  he 
was  carried  on  shore  by  the  two  messengers  to 
be  buried.  The  king  not  only  provided  him 
with  a  grave  in  the  open  space  in  the  centre  of  • 
the  town,  but  himself,  with  his  court,  attended 
the  funeral  ceremony.  After  the  sailor  was 
buried,  his  comrades  set  up  a  cross  over  the 
grave. 


ADVENTURES    AT    SEBU.  I7I 

The  Spaniards  were  soon  engaged  in  an  active 
trade  with  the  people  of  Sebu.  The  king  provided 
one  of  the  larger  huts,  near  the  shore,  as  a  ware- 
house ;  and  thither  was  carried  a  variety  of  the 
goods  that  composed  the  cargo  of  the  ships. 
Four  of  the  Spaniards  were  selected  to  act  as 
salesmen.  They  bartered  iron,  cloths,  and  trinkets 
for  gold,  which,  it  appeared,  was  found  in  large 
quantities  in  Sebu  and  the  neighboring  islands ; 
and  in  dealing  with  the  natives  they  found  them 
peaceable,  honest,  and  fair,  and  not  at  all  dis- 
posed to  drive  a  hard  bargain.  They  had  a  curi- 
ous contrivance  for  weighing  their  goods.  It 
consisted  of  a  wooden  pole  suspended  in  the 
middle,  with  a  basin  suspended  by  three  cords 
at  one  end,  and  a  cord  at  the  other,  upon  which 
hung  a  weight  equal  to  the  basin,  to  which  the 
weights  were  attached.  The  Spaniards  soon  per- 
suaded the  natives  to  give  up  this  cumbrous  device 
for  the  scales  they  had  brought  with  them  from 
Europe.  The  natives  gave  gold  worth  fifteen 
Spanish  ducats,  for  fourteen  pounds  of  iron. 


1J2  MAGELLAN, 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE  BARBARIANS  CONVERTED. 

HE  king  and  his  court  were,  in  no  long 
time,  fully  persuaded  to  become  Chris- 
tians; and  Magellan  resolved  to  make 
the  ceremony  of  their  baptism  and  entrance  into 
the  fold  of  the  Church  as  imposing  and  impres- 
sive as  passible.  He  wished  that  their  untutored 
minds  should  have  the  deepest  sense  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  step  they  were  taking,  so  that 
they  would  never  forget  or  retreat  from  it. 

Preparations  for  the  solemn  event  were  made 
on  the  most  elaborate  scale.  A  high  platform 
was  erected  by  the  Spaniards  in  the  centre  of 
the  open  space ;  and  this  was  decked  out  with 
tapestry,  carpets,  and  palm  branches.  Not  only 
the  king  of  Sebu,  but  his  queen,  and  the  king  of 
Mazzava  (who  was  still  with  Magellan)  were  to  be 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  1/3 

baptized;  and  the  day  appointed  was  Sunday, 
the  fourteenth  of  April. 

On  that  morning,  all  was  commotion,  both  in 
the  fleet  and  in  the  town.  The  natives  as- 
sembled in  the  streets,  and  huddled  in  excited 
groups  along  the  beach  ;  while  the  crews  of  the 
ships  attired  themselves  in  their  best  suits,  as 
if  for  an  extraordinary  occasion. 

Soon  everything  was  ready.  The  boats  were 
lowered,  and  each  was  filled  with  its  quota  of  offi- 
cers and  sailors  ;  and  when  all  had  embarked,  the 
boats  set  out  for  the  shore.  At  the  same  time 
the  cannon  broke  the  stillness  of  the  Sunday 
morning,  and  sent  joyous  peals  over  the  waters. 
The  boats  that  went  ahead  contained  forty 
men  in  armor,  one  of  whom  carried  the  royal 
standard  of  Spain.  These  landed  first,  and  were 
soon  followed  by  the  sailors.  A  procession  was 
formed  ;  Magellan  was  in  front,  with  his  captains, 
all  wearing  velvet  cloaks  and  plumed  caps;  then 
came  the  priests  ;  the  soldiers  were  next  in  order ; 
and  the  rear  was  occupied  by  the  crews. 

Advancing  up  the  slight  slope  that  led  from 
the  shore  to  the  open  space,  Magellan  and  his 
company  reached  the  scene  of  the  day's  ceremony. 


1/4  MAGELLAN. 

The  short,  fat  king,  in  fantastic  attire,  his  face 
freshly  painted  that  morning,  stood  ready  to  re- 
ceive them,  surrounded  by  a  numerous  array  of 
courtiers  and  chiefs.  By  his  side  was  the  king  of 
Mazzava,  who  had  preceded  the  Spaniards  on 
shore. 

Magellan  and  the  two  barbarian  kings  now  as- 
cended the  scaffold,  and  took  their  places  in  chairs 
of  red  and  violet  velvet,  which  had  been  brought 
from  the  flag-ship  for  the  purpose.  Meanwhile, 
the  chief  men  of  Sebu  arranged  themselves 
on  chairs,  or  squatted  on  mats,  below  the  plat- 
form ;  the  trumpets  sent  forth  a  loud,  long  blast ; 
then  Magellan,  turning  to  the  potentates,  and 
addressing  them  through  the  Malay,  who  stood 
behind  his  chair,  for  the  last  time  asked  them  if 
they  really  wished  to  become  good  Christians. 

"  If  you  do,"  said  he,  "you  must  burn  all  the 
idols  in  your  dominions ;  and  in  their  places,  set 
up  the  cross,  which  is  the  symbol  of  our  God. 
And  each  day  you  and  your  people  must  go  and 
kneel  at  the  cross,  and  join  your  hands,  and  im- 
plore the  favor  of  heaven.     Will  you  do  this?" 

The  kings  promptly  replied  that  they  would ; 
and  that  whatever  the  "captain,"  as  they  called 


THE  BARBARIANS  CONVERTED.       1^$ 

Magellan,  commanded,  they  would  faithfully  and 
always  obey. 

Magellan  then  rose,  and  taking  the  king  of 
Sebu  by  the  hand,  led  him  around  the  platform ; 
after  which  the  priests  performed  the  solemn  cere- 
mony of  baptism.  The  king  was  christened  by 
the  name  of  Charles,  after  the  king  of  Spain. 
The  king  of  Mazzava,  and  the  eldest  of  the  Sebu 
princes,  were  next  in  the  like  manner  baptized ; 
the  former  receiving  the  name  of  John,  and  the 
latter  that  of  Ferdinand. 

The  principal  subjects  of  the  king  of  Sebu 
now  flocked  upon  the  platform,  to  be  received 
in  their  turn  into  the  bosom  of  the  Catholic 
Church  ;  and  when  fifty  of  them  had  been  bap- 
tized, the  rite  of  the  mass  was  performed.  Then 
Magellan  and  his  company  returned  to  the  ships, 
being  escorted  to  the  beach  by  their  royal 
host. 

In  the  afternoon  a  ceremony  not  less  curious 
and  impressive  was  performed.  This  was  the 
baptism  of  the  queen  of  Sebu,  and  the  dusky 
ladies  of  her  court.  One  of  the  priests,  accom- 
panied by  Pigafetta  and  some  others,  went  on 
shore,  and  were    met   in    the    open    space    by 


17^  MAGELLAN. 

the  queen  and  her  companions.  These  were  led 
upon  the  platform,  where  the  queen  was  con- 
ducted to  a  cushioned  seat.  She  was  young  and 
pretty,  and  was  arrayed  in  a  black  and  white 
robe  ;  her  mouth  and  nails  were  very  red,  and  she 
wore  on  her  head  a  large  hat  made  of  palm- 
leaves,  surmounted  with  a  sort  of  crown,  also 
made  of  palm-leaves. 

The  priest,  in  the  midst  of  a  large  multitude  of 
Sebu  men  and  women,  who  looked  on  with  ex- 
cited interest,  approached  the  queen,  and  held 
up  before  her  a  small  wooden  image  of  the  Virgin 
and  Child,  and  also  a  cross.  The  queen  seemed 
impressed  with  these,  and  through  the  interpre- 
ter declared  her  willingness  to  become  a  Chris- 
tian and  to  be  baptized.  The  priests  therefore 
sprinkled  water  on  her  raven  locks,  and  called 
her  by  the  name  of  Joan,  after  the  Spanish 
king's  mother.  Her  daughter,  a  young  girl  of 
fourteen,  who  advanced  very  timidly  up  the 
steps,  was  next  in  like  manner  received  into  the 
Church,  being  called  Catherine ;  and  the  queen 
of  Mazzava  was  baptized  as  Isabella. 

As  the  queen  was  withdrawing  she  begged  the 
priest  to  give  her  "the  little  wooden  boy," mean- 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  I// 

ingthe  image  of  Christ,  to  put  in  place  of  her  idols, 
which  she  promised  to  destroy.  This  the  priest 
did  willingly.  Many  years  after,  on  the  return  of 
the  Spaniards  to  Sebu  with  missionaries,  they 
found  the  little  image  still  in  the  town,  and  the 
natives  worshipping  it  as  an  idol;  whereupon  the 
missionaries  taught  them  its  true  significance, 
blessed  it,  and  had  it  placed  in  the  Christian 
church  that  was  built.  From  having  found  this 
image  there,  these  Spanish  missionaries  named 
the  place,  **  the  City  of  Jesus,"  by  which  it  is  still 
known. 

Before  the  shades  of  night  had  fallen,  no  less 
than  eight  hundred  natives,  including  the  royal 
family  and  the  court,  had  been  baptized,  and  the 
country  had  become,  in  name  at  least,  a  Chris- 
tian one  ;  and  Magellan  thought  well  to  celebrate 
so  remarkable  a  conversion  by  festivities  in  the 
evening.  By  the  brilliant  light  of  the  moon,  the 
king,  queen,  and  court  of  Sebu  came  down  to  the 
beach,  whither  Magellan  had  caused  one  of  his 
cannon  to  be  brought ;  it  was  fired  off  on  the 
waves ;  and  now  that  the  barbarians  knew  what 
it  meant,  and  that  they  need  not  be  frightened, 
they  listened  with  delight,  with  much  shouting, 


178  MAGELLAN. 

capering,  and  dancing  about,  to  the  sudden  shocks 
and  echoing  reverberations. 

Magellan  did  not  confine  the  baptisms  to  the 
first  day  ;  but  every  day  after  that,  for  more  than 
a  week,  the  ceremony  was  performed  over  crowds 
of  natives  who  flocked  to  receive  it.  It  was  a 
strange  sight  to  see  the  groups  of  dark  islanders, 
with  their  painted  faces  and  palm-leaf  aprons, 
kneeling  at  the  feet  of  the  priests,  and  with 
amazed  and  wondering  eyes  watching  his  every  ac- 
tion ;  and,  their  turn  over,  scampering  down 
the  steps,  and  dancing  wildly  about  on  the  sward, 
and  under  the  wide-spreading  trees.  It  is  not 
probable  that  any  of  them  got  a  clear  conception 
of  what  it  was  to  be  a  Christian.  They  only 
knew  that  their  king  had  accepted  the  new  re- 
ligion; they  felt  awe  towards  the  Spaniards, 
whom  they  looked  upon  as  more  than  mortal ; 
their  barbaric  fondness  for  show  and  ceremony 
was  gratified  by  the  stately  rite  which  they  saw 
the  priests  going  through  ;  and  they  cared  little, 
apparently,  for  their  own  rude  wooden  gods  and 
goddesses. 

A  cross  was  now  set  up  in  the  centre  of  the 
town  ;  and  every  day  mass  was  said  near  it,  which . 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  179 

Magellan  usually  himself  attended,  explaining, 
through  the  Malay  interpreter,  such  points  in  the 
Christian  religion  as  he  thought  he  could  make 
his  benighted  hearers  understand. 

One  day,  the  queen  of  Sebu  came  to  hear  mass 
in  all  her  state.  She  was  attired  in  black  and 
white,  and  wore  a  long  silk  veil  with  gold  stripes, 
flowing  down  gracefully  over  her  shoulders.  Be- 
fore her  went  three  young  girls,  each  carrying 
one  of  the  queen's  palm-leaf  hats.  Following  the 
queen,  flocked  a  great  number  of  women  of  rank, 
wearing  smaller  veils,  and  hats  above  them.  Other- 
wise, they  only  wore  a  palm-leaf  apron  about 
their  waists;  while  their  long  black  hair  fell  in 
luxuriant  clusters  over  their  shoulders  to  their 
knees. 

The  queen  approached  the  altar,  and  knelt  be- 
fore it,  and  then  took  her  place  on  a  large  silk- 
embroidered  ottoman  ;  w^hile  her  chief  ladies  sur- 
rounded her  in  a  semi-circle.  Magellan  advancing 
to  her,  gently  sprinkled  over  her  and  her  com- 
panions some  rose-water  and  musk,  which  they 
sniffed  eagerly,  as  if  much  pleased  by  the  per- 
fume; and  then  mass  was  said  by  the  priests. 

On  another  occasion,  Magellan  resolved  that, 


l80  MAGELLAN. 

at  the  mass,  the  king  of  Sebu  should,  with  all 
due  formality,  swear  allegiance  to  the  king  of 
Spain.  This  ceremony,  he  thought,  should  be 
made  as  impressive  as  possible.  The  king  made 
his  appearance  at  the  appointed  hour,  in  a  long 
silk  robe,  with  which  Magellan  had  provided 
him  ;  and  with  him  came  his  two  brothers,  and 
many  of  his  principal  courtiers.  These  being 
ranged  in  a  row  on  seats  before  the  altar,  Magel- 
lan, standing  before  an  image  of  the  Virgin, 
drew  his  sword,  and  holding  it  aloft,  called  upon 
the  king  to  take  the  oath  to  be  ever  faithful  and 
true  to  the  Spanish  sovereign.  The  king  bowed 
his  head,  and  repeated,  in  his  own  tongue,  the 
words  of  the  oath  that  Magellan  offered  him. 
Magellan  then  affectionately  embraced  him,  at 
the  same  time  saying  that  when  a  man  took 
such  an  oath  as  that,  he  should  rather  die  than 
fail  to  keep  it.  In  his  turn,  he  swore  to  be  al- 
ways faithful,  to  be  true  to  the  king  of  Sebu,  in 
the  name  of  the  Virgin  and  of  King  Charles. 
Then,  turning  to  his  men,  Magellan  ordered  them 
to  bring  forth  a  splendid  velvet  chair ;  this  he 
presented  to  the  swarthy  monarch. 

"Wherever   you   go,"   said    Magellan,     "have 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  I5I 

this  throne  borne  before  you,  by  your  attend- 
ants, as  a  sign  of  your  power  and  sovereignty." 

In  return,  and  as  a  token  that  he  would  keep 
his  oath,  the  king  presented  Magellan  with  some 
large  gold  rings,  for  the  ears,  fingers,  and  ankles, 
all  of  which  were  set  with  roughly-cut  precious 
stones. 

A  day  or  two  after,  Magellan  was  visiting  the 
town,  and  going  about  in  company  with  the 
king,  when,  on  reaching  one  of  the  rude  native 
temples,  he  saw,  to  his  disgust,  that  the  idols 
were  still  in  their  places,  and  that  the  people 
were  worshipping  them.  Turning  sharply  to  his 
royal  companien,  he  asked  him  what  this  meant  ? 

"You  have  promised,"  he  said,  ''to  destroy 
these  idols.     Why  have  you  not  done  so?' 

The  king  replied  that  he  intended  to  burn  the 
idols ;  but  that  one  of  his  nephews,  a  valiant 
warrior,  lay  very  ill,  and  that  they  were  praying 
to  the  idols  to  restore  him  to  health. 

"If  you  wish  to  see  him  well  again,"  rejoined 
Magellan,  "  you  will  at  once  burn  all  these  fool- 
ish idols,  which  can  do  nothing  for  him  ;  and  you 
will  cause  your  sick  nephew  to  be  baptized.  I 
will  wager  my  head  that   he  will   then   speedily 


l82  MAGELLAN. 

recover."  So  great  was  Magellan's  faith  in 
miracles ! 

"  It  shall  be  done,"  was  the  king's  reply. 

Thereupon,  a  solemn  procession  was  formed, 
which  repaired  to  the  sick  prince's  house.  The 
prince  was,  indeed,  very  low.  He  could  neither 
speak  nor  move;  his  eyes  stared  unmeaningly  at  the 
priests,  nor  did  he  seem  to  recognize  any  one  or 
anything.  He  was  carefully  lifted  from  the  soft 
mat  on  which  he  lay,  into  a  sitting  posture;  and 
was  thus  baptized.  Two  of  his  wives  and  his 
ten  children  also  submitted  to  the  rite. 

Not  very  long  after,  Magellan  approached  the 
sick  man,  and  addressed  him  in  a  few  words  of 
his  own  language.  The  prince  slowly  moved  his 
head,  and  muttered  something.  Magellan  applied 
some  brandy  to  his  lips.  In  a  few  moments 
the  invalid  grew  so  much  better  that  he  could 
move  freely,  and  talk  quite  rationally  ;  and  from 
that  time  he  grew  gradually  better. 

This  incident  was  hailed  by  all  the  Spaniards 
as  a  great  miracle ;  and  they  took  care  to  im- 
press its  meaning,  as  they  interpreted  it,  upon 
the  minds  of  the  natives. 

It  happened  that  some  of  the  native  old  women. 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  I83 

who  had  refused  to  be  converted,  had  concealed 
an  idol  in  the  sick  prince's  house,  thinking  that 
this  would  restore  him  to  health.  On  his  recov- 
ery, the  prince  discovered  the  idol,  hid  behind 
some  mats  in  a  corner.  He  forthwith  brought  it 
out,  and  had  it  burned  in  presence  of  the  king 
and  all  his  suDJects.  Not  content  with  this — for 
he  himself  was  fully  persuaded  that  the  Chris- 
tians had  performed  a  miracle  on  him — he 
set  fire  to  the  temples  that  stood  on  the  sea- 
shore ;  while  the  people  gathered  in  crowds  to 
see  the  conflagration,  shouted  loudly,  and  aided 
him  in  his  work  of  destruction.  The  idols  thus 
burned  were  made  of  wood,  and  were  curved  in 
shape,  being  hollowed  out  behind ;  they  had 
large  faces,  painted,  with  four  large  teeth,  like 
those  of  a  wild  boar ;  their  legs  and  arms  were 
stretched  out  horizontally,  and  their  feet  turned 
upwards,  like  the  feet  of  the  Chinese.  They 
were,  indeed,  hideous-looking  objects. 

While  Magellan  was  at  Sebu,  a  very  curious 
ceremony  was  performed  by  the  natives.  This 
was  what  was  called  "  the  sacrifice  of  the  swine," 
or  **  blessing  the  pig."  Their  mode  of  blessing  the 
pig  was  an  odd  one,  as  will  be  seen  ;  and  Magel- 


l84  MAGELLAN. 

Ian  and  his  companions  witnessed  the  perform- 
ance with  much  interest. 

The  whole  population  gathered  in  or  about  the 
large  open  space  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  which 
evidently  served  as  the  spot  where  all  public 
ceremonies  took  place.  The  king  and  queen  sat 
on  cushions  raised  on  a  platform ;  and  Magellan 
and  his  captains  were  stationed  on  either  side  of 
the  royal  couple.  Presently  a  loud,  banging 
noise  was  heard,  and  a  number  of  the  natives 
appeared,  violently  thumping  upon  tambours,  or 
drums.  They  were  followed  by  others,  who  bore 
large  dishes,  two  of  which  were  filled  with  cakes 
of  rice  and  cooked  millet,  and  roast  fish,  and  the 
third  with  cloths  and  strips  of  palm  bark. 

One  of  the  cloths  was  spread  on  the  ground, 
before  the  king;  and  two  old  women  now  made 
their  entrance,  fantastically  dressed,  and  vigor- 
ously blowing  upon  rude  reed  trumpets.  These 
old  women,  stepping  upon  the  carpet,  and  turn- 
ing to  the  sun,  made  that  luminary  a  profound 
obeisance;  then  taking  the  other  cloths  that  had 
been  brought,  they  arrayed  themselves  in  them. 
One  twisted  a  cloth  about  her  head,  so  that  the 
knots  formed  two  horns,  on  either  side  ;  having 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  185 

done  which  she  began  to  dance  and  sing,  and 
stretch  out  her  arms  towards  the  sun. 

The  other,  attiring-herself  in  the  palm  cloths, 
followed  her  companion's  example,  with  shrill 
shrieking  and  wild  gestures  ;  each  tooting,  every 
now  and  then,  on  her  reed  trumpet.  While  this 
was  going  on,  a  fat  pink  pig  was  brought  into  the 
open  space,  and  bound  securely  to  a  stake  ;  upon 
which  the  old  women  began  to  caper  around  the 
poor  animal,  which  squealed,  in  his  terror,  with 
all  his  might. 

The  next  thing  the  old  women  did  was  to 
make  a  short  prayer,  in  low,  mumbling  voices,  to 
the  sun.  Then  one  of  them — the  first  who  had 
appeared — took  from  an  attendant  a  cup  of  wine, 
which  she  handed  to  her  companion.  The  latter 
took  it  and  raised  it  three  or  four  times  to  her 
lips,  as  if  to  drink  it ;  but  always  withdrew  it, 
and  resumed  her  droning  prayer.  At  last,  all  of 
a  sudden,  she  dashed  the  wine  on  the  poor  pig, 
which  squealed  more  frantically  than  ever. 

Throwing  away  the  empty  cup,  the  old  woman 
now  seized  a  long  limber  lance,  with  a  point 
made  of  a  sharpened  fish-bone,  and  leaped  from 
end  to  end  of  the  carpet,  brandishing  the  lance 


1 86 


MAGELLAN. 


and  gnashing  her  teeth  as  she  went.  Approach- 
ing the  pig,  she  made  thrusts  with  the  lance,  as 
if  to  plunge  it  into  him  ;  but  withdrew  it  again, 
and  resumed  her  strange  dance.  Pretty  soon, 
however,  she  carried  her  threat  into  execution ; 
for,  poising  the  lance  a  moment  in  her  hand,  and 
with  rapid  glance  taking  perfect  aim,  she  shot  it 
straight  through  the  quivering  creature's  heart. 
Withdrawing  it  at  once,  she  retired  ;  whereupon 
two  male  natives  seized  the  pig,  closed  the 
wound,  and  dressed  it  with  herbs.  The  old 
woman  who  had  done  the  deed  now  took  a 
lighted  torch,  and  capered  about,  holding  it  in 
her  mouth ;  while  her  companion,  dipping  her 
lance  in  the  pig's  blood,  carried  it  to  her  husband, 
whose  forehead  she  marked  with  it,  doing  the 
same  afterwards  to  her  other  relatives.  Both  old 
women  then  took  off  their  robes,  and, retreating 
into  a  corner,  greedily  ate  the  rice-cakes  and 
roast  fish  by  themselves.  The  pig  was  after- 
wards roasted  and  eaten  by  the  royal  party ;  and 
Magellan  was  told  that  pigs  were  only  eaten  in 
Sebu  when  they  had  been  killed  in  this  way. 

During  all  the  time    that    the   ships  were   at 
Sebu,  the  officers  and  sailors  were  wont  to  go  on 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  I87 

shore  freely,  whenever  they  pleased  ;  and  they 
thus  got  on  very  social  terms  with  the  natives. 
They  observed  that  their  dusky  friends  only  half- 
cooked  their  food,  and  that  they  spread  a  great 
deal  of  salt  on  it.  This  made  them  thirsty,  and 
they  were  constantly  drinking  the  palm  wine, 
which  was  their  favorite  beverage.  Their  method 
of  drinking  was  to  suck  the  wine  from  the  jars 
with  long  reeds.  When  they  saw  a  knot  of  sail- 
ors they  would  run  to  them,  and  invariably  beg 
them  to  come  and  have  something  to  eat  and 
drink. 

Once,  when  a  great  chief  among  them  died, 
the  Spaniards  had  an  opportunity  to  witness  a 
Sebu  funeral.  The  chief's  corpse  was  laid  in  a 
chest  in  his  house  ;  around  the  chest  was  wound 
a  cord,  to  which  branches  and  leaves  were  tied 
in  a  fantastic  fashion ;  while  on  the  end  of  each 
branch,  a  strip  of  cotton  was  fastened.  The 
principal  women  of  the  island  went  to  the  house 
of  mourning  and  sat  around  the  corpse,  wrapped 
in  white  cotton  shrouds  from  head  to  foot ;  beside 
each  woman  stood  a  young  girl',  who  wafted  a 
palm-leaf  fan  before  her  face.  Meanwhile,  one  of 
the  women  was  engaged  in  cutting  the  hair  from 


l88  MAGELLAN. 

the  dead  man's  head  with  a  knife.  His  favorite 
wife  all  this  time  lay  stretched  upon  his  body, 
with  her  mouth,  hands,  and  feet  pressed  close  to 
his.  As  the  woman  concluded  her  hair-cutting, 
she  broke  into  a  low,  dismal,  wailing  song,  which 
the  others  after  awhile  caught  up.  The  attendants 
on  the  mourners  then  took  procelain  vases  with 
burning  embers  on  them,  upon  which  they  kept 
sprinkling  myrrh,  benzoin,  and  other  perfumes, 
that  formed  a  cloud  of  incense  in  the  room. 

These  ceremonies  and  mournings  continued 
for  several  days;  meanwhile,  the  body  was 
anointed  with  oil  of  camphor,  to  preserve  it ;  and 
at  the  end  of  the  mourning  period,  it  was  solemnly 
deposited  in  a  kind  of  tomb,  made  of  wooden 
logs,  in  the  neighboring  forest. 

Magellan  was  delighted  with  the  success  which 
attended  his  stay  at  Sebu,  which  he  had  prolonged 
far  more  than  he  had  intended.  It  was  now  time 
to  bid  adieu  to  the  friendly  king,  and  proceed  on 
his  voyage.  As  active  preparations  for  setting 
out  were  being  made,  however,  an  incident  oc- 
curred which  induced  Magellan  to  change  his 
plans,  and  which  was  destined  to  bring  a  fatal 
misfortune  on  the  fleet. 


THE    BARBARIANS    CONVERTED.  liSg 

The  king  of  Sebu  ruled  over  several  islands  in 
the  neighborhood  of  that  on  which  he  resided. 
One  of  these  was  Matan,  only  two  or  three 
leagues  away.  It  was  a  beautiful  island,  and 
contained  a  large  and  warlike  population  ;  and 
among  the  chiefs  who,  under  the  king,  held 
authority  there,  was  one  named  Cilapulapu. 
Just  as  Magellan  was  about  to  sail,  another  chief 
in  Matan  named  Zula,  came  in  all  haste  to  Sebu 
with  a  message  that  Cilapulapu,  enraged  at  the 
conversion  of  the  king  and  his  subjects  to  Chris- 
tianity, had  rebelled,  and  ha^  incited  the  people 
to  rise  in  revolt.  At  Matan,  he  said,  all  were 
actively  preparing  for  war  against  their  sov- 
ereign. Magellan,  on  hearing  this,  resolved 
that  the  least  he  could  do  would  be  to  remain, 
and  defend  the  converted  king  from  the  violence 
of  his  new  enemies. 


190 


MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

A  hero's  death. 

AGELLAN,  anxious  to  confirm  the 
friendly  relations  which  now  existed  be- 
tween himself  and  the  king  of  Sebu, 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  and  his  valiant  soldiers 
should  alone  bear  the  brunt  of  the  coming  con- 
flict; that  the  sole  peril  and  glory  should  be 
theirs  of  subduing  the  rebel  Cilapulapu.  He 
therefore  told  the  king  that  he  himself  would 
command  the  attack  upon  Matan  ;  and  that  while 
the  king  might,  if  he  chose,  follow  him  in  his 
boats,  he  must  refrain  from  taking  part  in  the 
fray. 

Three  of  the  ships'  largest  boats  were  got 
ready  in  all  haste.  On  the  prow  of  each  was 
placed  a  cannon,  and  sixty  of  Magellan's  bravest 
and  most  skilful  warriors  were  detailed  to  go 
upon  the  expedition.     These  were  all  armed  with 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  I9I 

corslets  and  helmets,  and  carried  guns  and 
swords.  Magellan  ordered  that  during  his  ab- 
sence the  fleet  should  remain  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Serrano. 

It  was  just  at  midnight  that  the  three  boats  set 
out  for  Matan.  The  night  was  calm,  the  sea  was 
still,  and  the  heavens  were  starlit.  Magellan 
himself  went  in  the  foremost  boat,  and  issued 
his  commands  in  a  quick,  low  voice,  as  the  men 
rowed  swiftly  along.  His  object  in  starting  at 
midnight  was  to  surprise  the  enemy,  if  possible, 
and  effect  a  landing  on  the  coast  of  the  island 
before  the  people  there  saw  him.  In  the  rear  of 
the  three  boats  went  a  number  of  the  native 
canoes,  of  one  of  which  the  king  himself  was  an 
occupant. 

Three  hours  before  daylight,  the  Spaniards  ar- 
rived off  the  shores  of  Matan  ;  it  was  light  enough, 
however,  for  Magellan  to  perceive  that  the  alarm 
of  his  coming  had  already  been  given.  Near  the 
shore,  on  a  hillock,  was  posted  a  formidable  array 
of  barbarians.  Magellan  could  just  discern  their 
long  wooden  shields,  and  the  moving  mass  of  the 
savage  soldiers.  Some  traitor  had,  doubtless, 
escaped  from  Sebu  in  time  to  apprize  Cilapulapu 


192  MAGELLAN. 

of  his  intended  attack;  and  that  cunning  chief 
had  lost  no  time  in  preparing  to  receive  him.  It 
was  a  strange  and  alarming  sight,  to  see  the 
dense  ranks  of  the  dusky  figures,  who,  it  was  not 
difficult  to  perceive,  were  quite  prepared  to  de- 
fend the  island.  When  the  boats  came  near,  they 
set  up  a  wild  shout,  and  shook  their  shields  and 
spears  in  token  of  their  hostile  temper. 

Magellan  had  taken  the  precaution  to  bring 
with  him  a  very  intelligent  Moor,  who  knew 
the  Malay  tongue  (which  was  spoken  in  all  these 
islands),  and  who  had  before  been  at  Matan. 
This  Moor  he  resolved  to  send  ashore  to  the 
warlike  host,  with  a  message  of  peace  and  par- 
don if  they  would  even  now  lay  down  their  arms, 
and  submit  to  the  authority  of  their  lawful  mon- 
arch. As  the  water  for  some  distance  from 
the  shore  was  very  shallow  and  rocky,  the  boats 
could  not  approach  nepirer  than  the  spot  where 
they  had  stopped ;  and  the  Moor  was  obliged  to 
jump  in  up  to  his  thighs,  and  wade  to  the  dry  land. 
As  he  drew  away  from  the  boats,  his  movements 
were  watched  with  breathless  interest.  Would 
the  barbarians  attack  him,  when  they  saw  him 
coming  alone?     Would  they  recognize  him  as  a 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  I93 

Moor,  or  would  they  take  him  for  a  Spaniard? 
If  they  allowed  him  to  approach  and  hold  parley 
with  them,  how  would  they  receive  his  message? 
Would  the  Moor  himself  turn  traitor,  and  reveal 
the  numbers  and  arms  of  Magellan's  men,  or 
would  he  hold  his  own  counsel,  and  prove  him- 
self a  faithful  envoy  ? 

These  questions  rapidly  crossed  Magellan's 
mind  as,  peering  through  the  gloom,  he  saw  the 
Moor's  stalwart  form  receding  and  fading  as  he 
neared  the  beachy  shore.  They  were  quickly 
answered  by  the  events  which  followed.  The 
Moor  advanced  up  the  sloping  hill ;  the  dusky 
soldiers  made  no  movement  against  him.  They 
seemed  to  be  surprised  to  see  him  coming,  and 
not  at  all  afraid  of  him.  Presently  he  seemed  to 
melt  into  their  mass,  and  was  no  longer  visible. 

His  stay  among  them  lasted  about  half  an 
hour,  during  which  the  Spaniards  watched  eagerly 
for  his  reappearance.  The  boats  rested  quite  still 
on  their  oars ;  the  silence  was  profound.  At 
last  he  emerged  from  the  throng  of  the  island- 
ers, slowly  descended  the  hill  again,  and  waded 
out  to  Magellan's  boat 

Magellaif  impatiently  awaited  his  report.     The 


194  MAGELLAN. 

Moor  said  that  he  had  been  received  in  a  friendly 
manner,  and  had  been  conducted  to  the  chief 
Cilapulapu.  He  had  then  delivered  Magel- 
lan's message,  that,  if  he  would  return  to  his  al- 
legiance, all  should  be  forgiven,  and  the  Span- 
iards would  withdraw ;  otherwise,  the  rebels 
would  soon  feel  the  sting  of  their  lances.  Cilapu- 
lapu had  replied : 

*'  I  will  not  submit ;  if  the  white  strangers  have 
lances,  so  have  we,  though  ours  are  only  lances 
of  reeds.  Moreover,  we  have  wooden  shields 
hardened  by  fire.  Let  the  strangers  beware.  I 
only  ask  that  they  will  not  attack  us  by  night. 
We  expect  reinforcements,  and  wish  to  meet  the 
enemy  on  even  terms.  Let  them  wait  till  day- 
light, and  then  assail  us  as  soon  as  they  please." 
Magellan  perceived,  by  this  insolent  message, 
that  gentle  means  would  not  be  availing.  The 
rebels  must  be  attacked  and  conquered.  He 
saw,  too,  that  Cilapulapu's  request  that  he  should 
not  attack  by  night,  was  a  cunning  device  by 
which  he  hoped  to  induce  the  Spaniards  to  do 
that  which  he  asked  them  not  to  do.  His  real 
desire  was  that  they  should  make  the  assault 
at  night ;  and  the  reason  of  this  aftel-^^'ards  came 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  195 

to  light.  Between  the  shore  and  their  camp  and 
village,  the  rebels  had  dug  a  long,  deep  ditch. 
If  Magellan  had  landed  and  advanced  upon  them 
at  once,  while  it  was  dark,  they  would  have  re- 
treated hastily  beyond  this  ditch,  and  Magellan 
and  his  men  would  have  fallen  into  it. 

Magellan  therefore  patiently  waited  till  day- 
light. As  soon  as  the  first  gray  of  the  morning 
lit  up  sea  and  shore,  and  enabled  him  to  distin- 
guish objects  clearly,  he  gave  the  order  to  his 
little  band  of  troops  to  get  out  of  the  boats  and 
wade  rapidly  to  the  beach.  By  the  light  of  the 
dawn  the  enemy  could  be  more  distinctly  seen ; 
they  appeared  less  formidable  than  when  en- 
veloped by  the  shroud  of  night,  but  they  be- 
trayed numbers  by  no  means  to  be  despised. 
They  seemed,  moreover,  perfectly  confident  and 
resolute ;  and  instead  of  making  good  their  re- 
treat when  they  saw  the  Spaniards  preparing  to 
go  ashore,  stood  to  their  position,  and  were 
apparently  indifferent  to  the  advance  of  their 
assailants. 

Forty-nine  of  the  Spaniards  were  designated  to 
make  the  attack,  the  remaining  eleven  being 
ordered  to  stay  by  the  boats.     Magellan  himself 


196  MAGELLAN. 

was  the  first  to  leap  into  the  water.  Drawing 
his  sword,  he  gave  the  word  of  command,  and  in 
another  instant  his  little  force,  their  swords  in 
their  right  hands,  and  their  shields  borne  on  their 
left  arms,  had  gathered  around  him.  Among 
them  was  his  friend,  and  afterwards  his  historian, 
the  Italian  Pigafetta.  At  first  their  progress 
through  the  water  was  slow,  for  it  was  up  to 
their  waists.  As  Magellan  boldly  went  forward, 
he  looked  carefully  about  for  a  good  landing- 
place  ;  for  the  beach  was  interspersed  with  masses 
of  jagged  rock,  and  it  was  necessary  to  avoid  the 
hill  on  which  Cilapulapu  was  posted,  and  which 
sloped  to  the  water's  edge.  As  he  advanced,  the 
rebel  chief  himself,  a  man  of  gigantic  stature, 
and  decked  out  with  brilliant  feathers  and  paint, 
appeared  at  the  brow  of  the  hill,  making  defiant 
gestures  at  Magellan,  and  exhorting  his  followers 
to  hold  fast  to  their  position. 

An  open  strand  was  soon  reached  ;  and  now 
the  Spaniards  stood,  in  close,  resolute  ranks,  on 
the  smooth  sand.  Mngellan  did  not  lose  a  mo- 
ment in  hesitation  or  delay.  Forming  his  soldiers, 
he  at  once  marched  forward  towards  the  hill. 

But  Cilapulapu,  who  had  at  first  evidently  in- 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  197 

tended  to  await  the  assault  of  his  foe,  changed 
his  mind  at  the  last  moment;  for  no  sooner  did 
he  see  Magellan  approaching  the  hill  than,  brand- 
ishing his  spear,  and  giving  a  loud,  fierce  whoop, 
he  rushed  down  the  slope,  followed  by  his  forces. 
They  were  not  less  than  fifteen  hundred,  against 
forty-nine ;  and  as  they  descended,  Magellan  per- 
ceived that  they  were  divided  into  three  bodies. 
He  had  no  time  to  note  anything  further,  for  in 
another  moment  they  were  close  upon  him.  As 
they  came  on,  they  made  a  horrible  noise  with 
their  shrieking  and  shouting,  and  leaped  about 
like  so  many  lunatics.  Two  of  their  companies 
separated  to  the  right  and  left,  with  the  intent 
to  attack  the  Spaniards  on  their  flanks;  while 
the  third  advanced  directly  in  their  front.  Ma- 
gellan, dividing  his  little  group  into  two  compa- 
nies, continued  to  go  forward  to  meet  his  savage 
foes.  He  knew  no  fear,  and  at  this  critical  mo- 
ment he  felt  all  the  wild  thrill  of  conflict.  Then 
halting,  he  ordered  his  musketrymen  and  cross- 
bowmen  to  fire. 

Unhappily,  neither  bullets  nor  arrows  seemed 
to  take  serious  effect.  The  bullets,  for  the  most 
part,  whizzed  harmlessly  over  the  heads  of  the 


IQo  MAGELLAN. 

barbarians ;  while  the  arrows  struck  against  the 
wooden  shields,  or  passing  through  them,  inflicted 
but  slight  wounds.  At  first,  when  the  Spaniards 
opened  fire  upon  them,  the  rebels  paused  in  their 
headlong  career,  as  if  stunned  by  the  noise  of  the 
volley,  and  to  see  what  effect  it  would  have. 
But  when  they  perceived  their  ranks  still  un- 
broken, and  but  one  or  two  of  their  comrades 
lying  on  the  ground,  they  pressed  forward  more 
fiercely,  and  with  more  hideous  screams  than 
before. 

Their  arrows,  javelins,  speais,  and  stones,  now 
fell  like  a  hailstorm  upon  the  Spaniards  ;  and 
they  found  themselves,  of  a  sudden,  very  hard 
pressed.  With  difificulty  they  avoided  the  deadly 
points  of  the  savage  weapons  ;  they  could  scarcely 
hold  their  ground  long  enough  to  load  and  fire. 
It  was  clear  that  it  must  soon  come  to  aliand-to 
hand  fight. 

Cilapulapu  soon  easily  distinguished  the  daunt- 
less leader  of  his  foes.  Magellan's  finer  dress 
marked  him  out ;  his  air  of  command  betrayed 
him  ;  and  his  intrepid  valor,  as  he  fought  at  the 
very  head  of  his  men,  aroused  the  barbaric  chief's 
wrath  to  its  fiercest  pitch.     He  ordered  his  men 


A    HERO  S    DEATH  199 

to  aim  at  the  Spanish  captain  their  heaviest  and 
deadliest  javelins ;  and  it  was  a  miracle  that  Ma- 
gellan was  not  instantly  overwhelmed  by  them. 

At  this  moment  Magellan  perceived,  for  the 
first  time,  that  his  men  were  quite  near  some  of 
the  native  huts.  He  ordered  them  to  set  fire  to 
these ;  and  soon  ten  or  twelve  of  the  huts  were 
in  a  blaze.  This  redoubled  the  fury  of  the  bar- 
barians, a  number  of  whom  rushed  towards  the 
men  who  had  caused  the  conflagration  and 
frantically  assailed  them.  Two  of  the  Spaniards 
fell,  pierced  by  the  javelins.  The  others  made  all 
haste  to  rejoin  the  main  body  of  their  comrades. 
^Cilapulapu,  seeing  that  while  the  bodies  of  the 
Spaniards  were  effectually  protected  by  their 
shields,  but  that  their  legs  were  exposed,  ordered 
his  troops  to  aim  low.  The  savages  now 
swarmed  on  all  sides  of  the  Spaniards,  and  hurled 
perfect  avalanches  of  arrows  and  spears  upon 
them.  Magellan  had  hoped  to  use  the  cannon 
which  he  had  brought  in  the  boats;  but,  besides 
that  the  boats  were  obliged  to  anchor  out  of  range 
of  the  enemy,  it  would  now  have  been  impossi- 
ble to  fire  the  cannon  without  endangering  his 
own  men,  as  well  as  those  of  the  Matan  chief. 


200  MAGELLAN, 

Magellan  and  his  men  were  soon  at  close  quar, 
ters  with  the  furious  host  of  savages  ;  he  him^ 
self  was  still  the  foremost,  fighting  with  lion-like 
and  desperate  valor.  Lame  as  he  was,  he  had 
herculean  strength  in  his  arms ;  he  dealt  crushing 
blows  right  and  left  with  his  long  sword,  and 
native  after  native  fell  howling  and  dying  beneath 
them. 

It  was  not  long,  however,  before  the  over- 
whelming numbers  of  the  natives  began  to  tell. 
They  fairly  crowded  the  Spaniards  back  by  their 
very  multitude.  The  Spaniards  were  forced  to 
retire  towards  the  shore,  fighting  as  they 
went,  and  retreating  as  slowly  as  possible. 

Of  a  sudden,  Magellan  fell  to  the  earth  with 
a  cry  of  pain ;  but  before  his  soldiers  could  as- 
sist him,  he  was  on  his  feet  again.  A  poisoned 
arrow  had  entered  his  left  leg.  He  stooped  and 
pulled  it  out,  and  launched  it  back  at  the  on- 
rushing  foe;  and  his  sword  continued  to  do  as 
sanguinary  service  as  before.  The  natives  had 
now  come  near  enough  to  use  the  arms  they  had 
already  hurled,  over  again.  They  picked  up  the 
spears  and  arrows  that  lay  strewn  on  the  ground 
where  the  Spaniards  had  stood,  and  again  rained 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  201 

them  down  upon  their  adversaries.  Twice  Ma- 
gellan's helmet  was  knocked  off  his  head ;  but 
fortunately  his  head  itself  was  left  unscathed. 
As  coolly  as  if  he  had  been  standing  on  the  deck 
of  bis  flag-ship,  he  bent  down  each  time,  picked 
up  his  helmet,  fastened  it  in  its  place,  and  went 
on  fighting. 

For  more  than  an  hour  this  terrific  battle  raged 
with  unabating  fury.  Once  more  the  Spaniards 
had  made  a  desperate  rally,  and  grimly  resolved 
to  stand  to  their  ground  at  all  hazards.  They 
huddled  close  together,  so  as  to  face  the  enemy 
on  each  side ;  now  and  then  a  Spaniard  would 
fall  and  writhe  in  agony,  when  a  poisoned  shaft 
entered  and  tortured  his  flesh ;  but  for  every 
Spaniard  that  fell,  at  least  a  half-a-dozen  natives 
were  laid  low.  The  contest  now  raged  at  the 
very  water's  edge ;  and  every  moment  a  splash 
would  be  heard,  and  a  dusky  warrior  would  sink 
beneath  the  water. 

The  strength  of  the  Spaniards  was,  all  this 
while,  slowly  but  surely  giving  out.  It  was 
evident  that  defeat  and  death  stared  them  in  the 
face.  But  their  valor  knew  no  shrinking,  and 
even   those   whose   blood    streamed    over   their 


202  MAGELLAN. 

faces,  and  from  the  wounds  in  their  arms  and 
legs,  fought  doggedly  on. 

At  last,  however,  a  fatal  event  occurred,  which 
speedily  decided  the  conflict  in  favor  of  the  bar, 
baric  Cilapulapu.  As  Magellan  was  standing  in 
front  of  his  men,  vigorously  cutting  and  slashing 
on  either  side  of  him,  a  native  rushed  up  and 
plunged  a  lance  full  in  his  face.  The  blood  at 
once  gushed  from  the  wound,  and  covered  the 
heroic  Admiral's  cheeks;  but  he  rushed  forward, 
seized  his  assailant's  lance,  and  plunged  it  through 
his  body,  so  that  the  point  emerged  from  the 
other  side.  At  this  moment  Magellan  received 
another  javelin  wound  in  his  right  arm.  Retried 
to  pull  the  lance  out  of  his  foe's  body,  but,  from 
the  weakness  of  his  arm,  failed  to  do  so;  he  then 
made  an  attempt  to  raise  his  sword,  but  found 
himself  too  weak.  He  staggered,  and  was  about 
k)  fall,  when  an  enormous  savage,  raising  aloft  a 
large  scimetar,  brought  it  with  deadly  force  upon 
his  left  leg.  Magellan  sank  down  upon  his  face  ; 
and  now  a  multitude  of  infuriated  savages  fell 
upon  him.  They  ran  him  through  and  through 
with  their  spears  and  lances,  and  crushed  his  head 
in  with  stones ;  and  without  a  word  or  a  groan, 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  203 

the  great  discoverer  and  warrior  breathed  his  last. 

When  the  Spanish  soldiers  saw  Magellan 
stretched  upon  the  ground,  all  but  seven  or 
eight  of  the  most  valiant  ran  into  the  water,  and 
hastened  out  towards  the  boats.  The  little  band 
that  remained  continued  to  struggle  desperately, 
but  it  was  of  no  avail ;  and  somis  of  them  found 
noble  deaths  within  a  few  feet  of  the  lifeless 
form  of  their  brave  chief. 

Those  who  escaped  into  the  water  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  boats  in  safety.  The  men  who 
had  remained  in  charge  of  them  were  overcome 
with  grief  to  hear  of  the  death  of  Magellan  ;  they 
wept  bitterly  at  the  news,  and  vowed  vengeance 
upon  the  barbarians  who  had  thus  deprived  them 
of  their  commander.  The  boats  drew  up  in  a 
line  alongside  of  each  other,  and  the  victorious 
savages  having  now  poured  down  upon  the  shore, 
and  some  of  them  having  even  ventured  into  the 
water,  the  cannon  were  loaded  and  fired  at  them. 
Repeated  volleys,  issuing  from  the  hoarse  throats 
of  the  big  guns,  awoke  the  echoes ;  while  the  lesser 
volleys  of  the  men's  muskets  aided  them  in  their 
havoc.  Many  of  the  natives  fell  shrieking  into 
the  water ;  the  rest  retreated  to  the  land,  and  to 


204  MAGELLAN. 

a  secure  distance  beyond  range  of  the  cannon. 

It  was  useless  for  the  boats  to  remain  any 
longer  at  Matan.  The  enemy  were  in  too  formida- 
ble numbers,  even  if  the  boats  of  the  king  him- 
self, which  had  been  moored  all  this  time  about  a 
mile  off,  in  the  rear,  had  joined  those  of  the 
Spaniards  in  a  new  attack.  The  latter,  therefore, 
slowly  and  mournfully  pulled  back  to  where  the 
king  was,  and  apprized  him  of  the  irreparable 
loss  they  had  sustained.  The  sable  monarch,  on 
hearing  it,  threw  himself  back,  raised  his  hands 
heavenward,  and  then,  leaning  forward  on  his 
knees,  rocked  to  and  fro,  crying  and  moaning. 
The  Spaniards  were  soon  to  learn  how  sincere 
this  show  of  sorrow  was. 

The  surprise  and  grief  of  the  captains  and 
crews  of  the  fleet,  at  the  intelligence  brought  by 
the  boats,  can  scarcely  be  described.  It  was  a 
dismal,  dreary  day  for  every  soul  on  board.  The 
wanderers  were  now  without  a  guide ;  they  had 
been  deprived  of  him  who  had  won  their  absolute 
trust,  upon  whose  wisdom  and  courage  they  had 
surely  counted,  who  had  shared  their  every  hard- 
ship, and  had  won  the  love  of  all,  since  the  mu- 
tiny, by  his  kindness,  his  leniency  towards  theif 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  205 

faults,  his  cheering  words  when  they  had  been 
discouraged,  and  his  fatherly  care  for  the  hum- 
blest of  them. 

Thus  died  the  brave-souled,  great-hearted,  and 
indomitable  Fernan  Magellan,  on  Saturday,  April 
17th,  1 52 1,  at  the  early  age  of  forty-one.  Rarely 
has  a  more  generous  and  noble  character  appeared 
in  the  pages  of  history.  Magellan,  after  having 
braved  mighty  tempests,  having  undergone  every 
danger  of  the  sea,  having  resolutely  pursued  his 
purpose  in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  having  with 
firm  and  stern  hand  put  down  the  revolt  of  Cartha- 
gena,  and  having  discovered  the  world-renowned 
straits,  and  crossed  and  given  its  name  to  the 
Pacific,  was  not  destined  to  fulfil  that  other  am- 
bition of  his,  to  make  the  circuit  of  the  globe. 
He  was  fated  to  fall  in  the  midst  of  his  great 
voyage,  a  victim  to  the  fury  of  savages,  in  de- 
fence of  a  potentate  who  had  been  friendly  to 
him,  and  had  consented  to  become  a  Christian. 
But,  dying  even  at  his  early  age,  Magellan  had 
done  enough  to  win  for  his  name  immortal  re^ 
nown.  He  had  at  least  shown  the  way  around  the 
world  ;  so  that  from  his  time,  the  ships  of  all 
nations  might  follow  in  his  track,  and  pass  from 


206 


MAGELLAN. 


nation  to  nation,  in  both  hemispheres,  by  water. 

We  have  seen  how,  under  every  circumstance, 
he  was  heroic  and  valiant  in  his  action  and  bear- 
ing. He  knew  not  fear,  either  of  men  or  of  the 
elements;  was  constant  to  his  end  in  the  worst 
fortunes,  and  never  once  despaired  of  achieving  it. 
He  did  not  falter  when  death  and  famine  stared 
him  in  the  face.  He  was  loyal  to  his  adopted 
sovereign,  to  his  comrades,  and  himself. 

Unlike  Pizarro,  and  many  other  voyagers  of 
his  time,  his  ambition  was  a  nobler  one  than  that 
of  the  greed  of  gain ;  nor  was  it  confined  to  win- 
ning fame  and  honor  for  himself.  He  aspired  to 
confer  great  benefits  upon  man.  He  exulted  in 
the  thought  that  he  might  serve  Christianity  and 
civilization.  He  would  find  unknown  pathways 
on  the  seas ;  he  would  plant  the  cross  in  heathen 
and  idolatrous  lands  ;  and  these  high  and  unselfish 
aims  he  pursued  with  an  ardor  and  intrepidity 
not  surpassed  by  any  of  the  world's  conquerers 
and  heroes. 

Magellan  was  not  wantonly  cruel.  He  was 
never  known  to  deal  harshly  with  the  innocent. 
To  suppress  the  mutiny  of  St.  Julian,  to  execute 
its  ring-leaders,  were  acts  of  sheer  necessity  and 


A    HERO  S    DEATH.  20/ 

self-preservation  ;  but  the  mutiny  subdued  and 
its  chiefs  executed,  he  was  mild  and  lenient  with 
their  misguided  followers.  Towards  his  sailors 
he  was  indulgent,  generous,  and  considerate.  He 
cheerfully  shared  their  hardships.  He  tenderly 
cared  for  the  sick.  He  overlooked  their  lighter 
faults;  he  was  loth  to  punish  even  their  more 
serious  offences.  He  even  gave  the  savage  Cila- 
pulapu  a  chance  to  repent,  before  attacking  him. 
He  was  kind  and  generous  to  all,  high  and  low, 
alike.  No  man  was  more  deeply  beloved  by  his 
friends  and  his  inferiors. 

The  achievement  by  which  he  is  best  known, 
and  which  has  perpetuated  his  name,  was  the 
discovery  of  the  Straits,  that  labyrinthine,  dan- 
gerous passage  between  the  southernmost  point 
in  South  America  and  Terra  del  Fuego.  Even 
now,  it  is  not  the  safest  thing  in  the  world  for  a 
ship  to  steer  its  way  through  it ;  how  much  more 
difficult,  when  its  outlet  was  unknown,  and  when 
the  navigator  had  only  the  clumsy  nautical  con- 
trivances of  three  centuries  ago ! 

"Forever  sacred  to  the  hero's  fame, 
These  foaming  straits  shall  bear  his  deathless  name." 


208  MAGELLAN' 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE    king's    treachery. 

ITH  the  death  of  their  brave  commander, 
new  troubles  came  upon  the  Spaniards. 
For  awhile,  all  was  confusion  in  the 
fleet.  There  was  now  no  head;  and  it  became 
necessary  to  replace  Magellan  by  a  new  admiral. 
Two  of  the  captains  seemed,  above  all  the  other 
officers,  best  fitted  to  succeed  to  this  office.  One 
was  Juan  Serrano,  who  had  proved  not  only  a 
courageous  and  resolute  man,  but  an  able  navi- 
gator, and  a  faithful  friend  of  Magellan.  The 
other  was  Edward  Barbosa,  a  Portuguese,  the 
brother  of  Magellan's  wife,  and  the  man  whom, 
beyond  all  the  rest  in  the  fleet,  Magellan  had  most 
thoroughly  trusted. 

The  choice  at  last  fell  upon  Barbosa ;  and  no 
sooner  had  he  received  the  command  of  the  fleet, 
than  he  won  the  allegiance  and  confidence  alike 


THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  2O9 

of  the  sailors  and  of  the  officers.  His  first  pur- 
pose was  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  remains  of 
Magellan,  that  the  dead  hero  might  be  buried 
with  all  honor,  and  his  grave  consecrated  by  the 
rites  of  the  Church.  The  king  of  Sebu,  who 
seemed  overwhelmed  by  his  friend's  death,  will- 
ingly agreed  to  make  the  attempt  to  recover  his 
body.  He  sent  a  boat  with  envoys  to  Matan, 
who  implored  Cilapulapu  to  deliver  it  up  ;  at  the 
same  time  promising  that  if  he  would  do  so,  he 
should  have  as  much  merchandize  as  he  chose  to 
take. 

Cilapulapu  promptly  made  an  insolent  reply. 
*'  He  would  on  no  account,"  he  said,  "  give  up 
the  body ;  he  desired  to  keep  it  as  a  monument 
of  his  triumph." 

Barbosa  was  therefore  obliged,  with  sad  reluct- 
ance, to  abandon  the  hope  of  burying  Magellan 
in  a  manner  worthy  of  his  rank  and  character ; 
and  now  there  seemed  to  be  no  reason  why  the 
fleet  should  longer  tarry  at  Sebu.  Barbosa  was 
anxious  to  reach  the  long-wished-for  Moluccas, 
which,  he  knew,  were  not  far  off ;  and  then  to 
sail  home,  as  quickly  as  possible,  by  the  way  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 


2IO  MAGELLAN. 

He  ordered  the  goods  which  still  lay  in  the 
warehouse  at  Sebu,  to  be  brought  on  board  the 
ships  as  quietly  as  possible ;  and  so  skilfully  was 
this  done,  that  the  king  of  Sebu  did  not  suspect 
what  was  really  going  on. 

Various  incidents,  indeed,  had  now  happened, 
which  made  Barbosa  suspect  the  king's  sincerity. 
He  knew  that,  immediately  after  Magellan's  de- 
feat and  death,  Cilapulapu  had  sent  the  king  a 
defiant  message,  threatening  to  invade  Sebu 
with  an  invincible  force,  if  he  did  not  at  once 
break  with  the  Spaniards,  and  renounce  Chris- 
tianity. Barbosa  saw  that  this  threat  had  greatly 
terrified  the  king,  and  had  induced  him  to  assume 
a  less  cordial  manner  towards  the  fleet ;  still,  he 
was  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  friendship,  and 
was  far  from  offering  the  Spaniards  any  open 
affront. 

It  seemed  prudent  to  Barbosa,  therefore,  that 
the  fleet  should  set  sail  suddenly,  before  the  king 
knew  that  it  was  going,  and  before  he  could  serve 
the  Spaniards,  if  such  was  really  his  disposition, 
an  ill  turn. 

Before  he  could  put  his  project  into  execution, 
it  was  foiled  by  the  treachery  of  a  man  who  had 


THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  211 

hitherto  been  fidelity  itself.  This  was  the  Malay 
interpreter,  whom  the  Spaniards  had  named  Henry. 
As  soon  as  he  had  learned  of  Magellan's  death, 
Henry  had  seemed  overwhelmed  with  grief.  He 
would  go  off  to  the  further  end  of  the  flag-ship, 
wrap  himself  up  in  his  mat,  rock  himself  to  and 
fro,  and  refuse  all  consolation.  Barbosa  allowed 
him  to  indulge  his  grief  for  awhile.  But  time 
was  precious,  and  the  Malay's  assistance  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  in  getting  the  goods  on  board. 
Barbosa  therefore  spoke  to  him  gently,  and  told 
him  he  must  go  on  shore  with  the  men.  Henry 
would  not  stir,  upon  which  Barbosa  addressed 
him  more  roughly. 

"  You  must  know,"  said  he,  "  that  you  are  not 
free,  though  your  master  is  dead.  I  am  going 
to  carry  you  to  Spain,  and  deliver  you  to  Dofia 
Beatrix,  the  Admiral's  widow.  Meanwhile,  if 
you  do  not  get  up  quickly,  and  go  ashore  to  your 
work,  I  will  have  you  flogged." 

The  Malay  upon  this  slowly  rose,  and  walked 
sullenly  away ;  he  leaped  into  one  of  the  boats  and 
went  ashore.  He  was  very  angry  in  his  heart  at 
Barbosa's  threatening  words,  and  resolved  to  be 
revenged  on  him.     Slipping  away  from  the  rest, 


212  MAGELLAN. 

while  they  were  usy  getting  out  the  goods,  he 
hid  himself  in  the  thicket,  and  soon  made  his 
way  to  the  mansion  of  the  king.  To  him  he  im- 
parted the  news  that  the  ships  were  preparing  to 
set  sail ;  and  he  urged  the  king  to  make  haste 
and  attack  them,  so  that  he  might  get  possession 
both  of  the  ships  and  their  cargoes.  The  king 
listened  intently  to  what  the  treacherous  Malay 
said,  and  made  up  his  mind  to  betray  his  guests. 
He  was  all  the  more  willing  to  do  this,  as  he  had 
fully  resolved  to  give  up  Christianity,  and  to  make 
peace  with  his  rebellious  subjects  in  Matan. 
The  Malay  then  returned  to  help  the  sailors,  say- 
ing nothing,  of  course,  of  his  visit  to  the  king. 

The  next  day,  Barbosa  receivjcd  a  message  from 
the  king,  that  the  jewels  he  designed  as  a  present 
to  the  king  of  Spain  were  ready  to  be  delivered 
to  him  ;  and  inviting  Barbosa  with  a  number  of 
his  principal  officers  and  comrades,  to  dine  with 
him  that  afternoon. 

Barbosa,  though  he  had  some  suspicions  of  the 
king,  determined  to  accept  the  invitation.  With 
twenty-four  others,  among  whom  were  an  astrolo- 
ger named  San  Martin,  Carvalho,  the  chief  of 
police,  and  the  Captain  Serrano,  and  all  of  whom 


THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  21 3 

took  care  to  go  armed  to  the  teeth,  he  proceeded 
on  shore  at  the  appointed  time. 

The  king  met  them  in  the  open  space,  with 
many  smiles  and  grimaces  of  welcome,  and  tak- 
ing Barbosa  by  the  hand,  led  him  into  the  house. 
The  other  Spaniards,  with  a  host  of  native  cour- 
tiers and  soldiers,  followed.  At  the  table,  which 
was  bountifully  spread,  Barbosa  was  seated  at 
the  king's  right  hand,  a  custom  taught  the  na- 
tives by  Magellan. 

For  a  time  the  feast  went  on  merrily.  Barbosa 
and  his  comrades,  who,  on  first  coming,  had 
taken  care  to  be  on  their  guard,  and  had  cau- 
tiously watched  every  movement  of  the  royal  at- 
tendants seemed  at  last  to  forget  their  suspi- 
cions, and  gave  themselves  wholly  up  to  the  good 
cheer  of  the  occasion.  While  they  were  thus 
absorbed  in  the  good  things,  the  king  of  a  sud- 
den sprang  from  his  seat,  and  making  a  signal  to 
his  soldiers,  plunged  a  dagger  deep  into  Bar- 
bosa's  breast.  At  the  same  moment,  each  Span- 
iard was  ferociously  assailed  by  his  dusky  neigh- 
bors, and  fell  bleeding  and  dying  at  the  foot  of 
the  festive  board.  The  surprise  and  slaughter 
were  as  sudden  as  they  were  dastardly.     Only 


214  MAGELLAN. 

one  of  the  party — Serrano — escaped  for  the  mo- 
ment the  fate  of  his  brave  comrades.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  felling  two  of  his  assailants,  and  leap- 
ing over  their  bodies,  jumped  to  the  ground, 
and  ran,  wounded  and  bleeding,  through  the 
open  space  down  towards  the  shore. 

But  the  swifter  feet  of  the  enraged  natives 
caught  up  with  him,  just  as  he  reached  the  strand, 
and  was  screaming  to  the  ships  for  help  with 
outstretched  arms.  The  men  on  board  looked 
at  him  in  speechless  terror  and  amazement. 
Meanwhile  the  savages  caught  him,  bound  him, 
and  dragged  him  some  distance  along  the  shore. 
They  offered  the  Spaniards  to  release  Serrano,  if 
they  would  give  up  two  cannon,  but  it  is  proba- 
ble that  their  offer  was  not  heard  ;  for  in  all  haste 
the  ships  weighed  anchor,  and  were  soon  scud- 
ding out  of  the  bay.  Serrano,  as  he  saw  his  only 
hope  thus  vanishing,  fell  upon  the  ground  with  a 
shriek  of  despair,  and  was  soon  stabbed  to  death 
by  the  javelin  and  dagger-thrusts  of  his  blood- 
thirsty captors. 

After  this  barbarous  and  dastardly  deed,  the 
king  of  Sebu  was  only  too  ready  to  desert  his 
Christian  professions,  and  to  make  peace  with 


THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  215 

Cilapulapu.  All  his  subjects,  as  well,  speedily 
returned  to  their  idols ;  and  the  little  wooden 
figure  of  Christ  was,  as  we  have  seen,  afterwards 
used  as  a  native  deity.  The  cross  which  Magel- 
lan had  set  up  was  pulled  down  and  burned. 

Meanwhile,  the  fleet  sailed  away  as  fast  as  pos- 
sible from  the  island  where  its  occupants  had 
witnessed  so  sudden  a  change  from  boundless 
hospitality  to  the  most  treacherous  cruelty. 
Barbosa  was  dead ;  and  in  his  place,  one  of  the 
Spanish  lieutenants,  named  Espinosa,  was  chosen 
admiral,  and  commander  of  the  '*  Trinidad." 
Serrano's  post  of  captain  was  given  to  Sebas- 
tian del  Cano,  who  took  command  of  the  *'  Vic- 
toria." 

Espinosa  resolved  not  to  turn  back,  but  to 
still  pursue  the  course  which  Magellan  had 
marked  out.  The  crews  were  reduced  by  bat- 
tle, massacre,  and  illness,  and  they  could  hope 
neither  to  cope  successfully  with  the  perfidious 
king  of  Sebu,  nor  to  conduct  the  ship^  bnck  to 
Europe  by  way  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  Even 
now,  they  found  it  difificult  to  manage,  in  the 
gentle  waters  of  the  Archipelago,  the  three  ves- 
sels which  still  remained  to  them. 


2l6 


MAGELLAN. 


When,  therefore,  the  fleet  reached  an  island 
called  Bohol,  about  forty  miles  from  Matan,thcy 
put  in  at  an  inviting  harbor,  in  order  to  settle  upon 
future  plans.  Espinosa  made  up  his  mind  that 
one  of  the  ships  must  be  sacrificed  ;  and  as  the 
"  Conception"  was  the  weakest  and  least  sea- 
worthy of  the  three,  she  was  doomed.  Her 
cargo  was  transferred  to  the  other  ships,  and  she 
was  then  hauled  up  and  burned. 

The  two  vessels  that  remained,  the  "Trinidad" 
and  the  "  Victoria,"  soon  proceeded  on  their  way. 
They  sailed  southwestward,  in  which  direction 
Espinosa  knew  the  Moluccas  lay,  and  passed 
many  islands  without  stopping.  On  one  of  these, 
they  observed,  the  inhabitants  were  as  black  as 
Ethiopians,  and  their  appearance  was  too  for- 
bidding to  encourage  the  wanderers  to  land. 
After  sailing  a  few  days,  they  reached  a  much 
more  hospitable-looking  island,  where  the  ships 
put  in  for  wood  and  water.  The  king  of  the 
tribe  went  fearlessly  on  board  the  "Trinidad," 
and,  as  a  token  of  his  friendly  disposition,  drew 
some  blood  from  his  left  hand,  and  smeared  his 
face,  breast,' and  the  tip  of  his  tongue  with  it. 
The  Spaniards  thought  it  prudent  to  follow  his 


THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  21/ 

example,  which  they  did  rather  awkwardly ;  but 
it  pleased  the  dusky  monarch  very  much.  Es^ 
pinosa,  indeed,  found  this  king  so  hospitable,  that 
he  resolved  to  prolong  his  stay.  The  ships  en* 
tered  the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  flowed  from 
the  hills  of  what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  islands  the  Spaniards  had  yet  seen. 
This  was  Mindanao.  The  captains  and  sailors 
went  freely  on  shore,  and  as  soon  as  they  did  so 
the  king  and  his  courtiers  began  to  sing  and 
caper  about,  and  offered  them  a  very  tempting 
meal  of  freshly-caught  fish. 

So  much  confidence  did  the  king  inspire  in 
Espinosa  and  the  other  officers,  that  they  were 
easily  persuaded  to  visit  him  in  the  town.  It 
was  a  rash  thing  to  do,  considering  the  base 
treatment  to  which  they  had  just  been  subjected 
by  the  king  of  Sebu  ;  but  that  perfidy  seems  to 
have  been  so  soon  forgotten.  Espinosa  and  his 
comrades  did  not  neglect,  however,  to  arm  them- 
selves, so  as  to  be  fully  prepared  for  foul  play. 
The  town  lay  for  the  most  part  on  the  bank  of 
the  river,  from  which  it  straggled  up  a  gentle 
slope,  wooded  with  palms  and  many  other  tropi- 
cal trees. 


2l8  MAGELLAN. 

It  was  night  when  Espinosa  and  his  party  as 
cended  the  hill,  in  company  with  the  sable  king 
and  his  retinue ;  and  as  they  approached  its 
crest,  a  large  number  of  the  natives  came  to 
meet  them  with  blazing  torches,  which  lit  up  the 
scene  with  a  wierd,  lurid  glare.  The  figures  of 
the  natives  looked  almost  terrible  in  the  flicker- 
ing and  fitful  light,  their  painted  faces  and  dark, 
unclothed  forms  standing  out  against  the  dark- 
ness. 

The  king  conducted  his  visitors  within  the  long, 
low  hut  which  constituted  his  palace  ;  and  the  first 
thing  he  did  was  to  feast  them.  In  the  principal 
apartment,  the  Spaniards  found  two  ravishingly 
beautiful  women,  with  almost  fair  complexions, 
and  exquisite  forms  and  features,  who  proved  to 
be  two  of  his  majesty's  wives ;  two  of  the  chiefs 
attended  the  king  inside  the  hut ;  and  the  king, 
his  wives,  and  the  chiefs  began  at  once  to  quaff 
long  draughts  of  palm  wine  from  enormous 
wooden  goblets.  Espinosa  was  prevailed  on 
to  imitate  their  example ;  but  Pigafetta,  the 
Italian,  who  was  of  the  party,  thought  it  pru- 
dent only  to  sip  the  strong  liquor.  Supper  fol- 
lowed, consisting  mainly  of  very  salt  fish,  served 


.THE    KINGS    TREACHERY.  2I9 

up  in  porcelain  dishes,  and  of  rice  very  ranch 
boiled. 

The  party  from  the  fleet  remained  one  night 
in  the  king's  house  ;  and  the  next  morning  they 
breakfasted  with  him,  as  cozily  as  possible,  the 
food  being  the  same  as  on  the  night  before, 
Pigafetta,  who  no  longer  had  the  least  fear  of 
the  king  or  his  subjects,  took  a  stroll  after  break- 
fast over  the  island.  He  found  it  full  of  mar- 
vels of  vegetable  and  floral  beauty,  and  resplend- 
ent with  all  the  rich  and  varied  growths  of  the 
tropics.  On  reaching  the  summit  of  a  hill,  hard 
by  that  on  which  the  king's  house  stood,  he  found 
another  large  mansion,  which,  he  was  told  by  the 
natives  who  went  with  him,  was  the  residence  of 
one  of  the  queens.  He  found  no  difficulty  in 
gaining  admission,  and  was  cordially  welcomed 
by  its  fair  occupant,  who  was  weaving  a  mat, 
and  who  made  him  sit  beside  her.  She  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  male  and  female  slaves, 
and  there  were  many  porcelain  ornaments  and 
musical  instruments  hanging  from  the  walls.. 
Before  Pigafetta  departed,  the  queen  amused  him 
by  playing  very  loudly  on  some  metal  timbrels. 

He  was  returning,  towards  the  ships,  when  he 


220  MAGELLAN.  ^ 

was  met  by  several  of  the  chiefs,  who  offered  to 
row  him  down  the  river  in  a  long  canoe.  This 
offer  he  smilingly  accepted.  As  they  sped 
smoothly  down  the  stream,  he  saw  on  the  shore 
the  bodies  of  three  men  hanging  upon  a  tree. 
On  asking  what  this  meant,  he  was  told  that 
they  were  thieves,  and  that  this  was  the  way 
that  such  criminals  were  punished  in  Mindanao. 
He  also  saw,  on  the  banks,  and  in  the  fields  that 
he  passed  in  the  canoe,  many  pigs,  goats,  and 
fowl  of  various  breeds. 

What  surprised  and  dazzled  Pigafetta  still 
more,  was  the  abundance  of  gold  ornaments 
which  the  natives  displayed.  Some  of  the 
utensils  in  the  king's  house  were  of  this  precious 
metal ;  the  queen  had  many  gold  rings  and 
bracelets;  and  gold  seemed  to  be  a  common 
article,  even  with  the  natives.  The  chiefs  in 
the  canoe,  as  they  passed  along,  pointed  out 
several  valleys  to  Pigafetta,  telling  him  by  signs 
that  they  contained  many  rich  veins  of  gold ; 
but  that  as  they  had  no  iron  implements  with 
which  to  mine  it,  they  could  only  procure  it  with 
labor  and  difficulty. 

Refreshed  by  their  pleasant  sojourn  at  Min- 


THE    KING  S    TREACHERY.  221 

danao,  the  wanderers  resumed  their  voyage,  con- 
tinuing to  pass,  as  before,  many  islands,  some  of 
which  seemed  deserted,  and  others  inhabited  by 
Malay  tribes.  They  sailed  perhaps  a  hundred 
miles  in  a  westerly  direction,  until  they  reached 
an  island  called  Palawan, 

The  provisions  of  the  ships  were  now  pretty 
much  exhausted  ;  and  Espinosa,  for  some  unex- 
plained reason,  had  neglected  to  replenish  his 
stores  at  Mindanao.  Before  reaching  Palawan, 
the  men  had  been  put  on  short  rations.  It  was, 
therefore,  much  to  their  relief  that  they  saw 
another  large  and  fruitful  island  rising  from  the 
sea ;  and  still  greater  was  their  delight  to  find 
the  people  of  Palawan  and  their  rulers  as  hos- 
pitable and  well-disposed  as  those  of  the  place 
they  had  recently  left. 

The  king  was  a  very  tall  and  imposing-looking 
man,  whose  countenance,  when  he  first  appeared, 
so  dark  was  it,  and  so  long  and  black  his  beard, 
seemed  forbidding.  But  on  going  on  board  the 
flag-ship,  his  face  was  lit  up  with  a  smile  so 
beaming  and  pleasant,  and  he  seemed  so  sin- 
cerely rejoiced  to  see  the  strangers,  that  Espinosa 
and  his  comrades  were  at  once  put  at  their  ease. 


222  MAGELLAN. 

Palawan  proved  to  be  and  to  contain  all  that 
the  Spaniards  hoped.  The  king  was  generous, 
his  people  were  peaceable  and  good-natured,  and 
the  island  abounded  in  good  things.  They  found 
not  only  pigs  and  goats,  but  yams  (like  our  sweet 
potatoes),  large  and  luscious  bananas,  and,  of 
course,  plenty  of  rice,  cocoanuts,  and  sugar- 
canes.  The  pigs  were  cured  and  stowed  away 
for  future  use ;  meanwhile  the  Spaniards  feasted 
daily  and  freely  with  their  new  friends. 

The  natives  seemed  more  civilized  and  intelli- 
gent than*those  of  the  other  islands.  They  had 
a  great  fondness  for  gay  colors  and  jewelry ;  and 
were  wild  with  joy  when  Espinosa  gave  them 
some  little  brass  bells,  which  they  hung  on  their 
fingers  and  ears,  and  danced  about  to  hear  them 
jingle. 

They  had,  it  appeared,  a  superstitious  respect 
for  cocks,  which  they  reared  with  great  care,  and 
never  ate ;  but  on  festival  days  brought  them 
out  and  made  them  fight  each  other.  To  one 
of  these  cock-fights  Espinosa  and  his  officers 
were  invited. 

A  week  was  passed  at  Palawan,  during  which 
the  ships  were  repaired  (a  task  in  which  the  na 


THE    KING  S    TREACHERY.  223 

tlves  willingly  helped  the  carpenters),  provisions 
in  plenty  were  stored,  and  wood  and  water  were 
pat  in  ;  and  when  the  strangers  departed,  the 
king,  with  a  great  number  of  his  subjects,  em- 
barked in  a  large  fleet  of  long  canoes,  and  attended 
the  "  Trinidad"  and  the  "  Victoria"  far  out  to  sea. 


224  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ADVENTURES  AT  BORNEO. 


HE  ships  had  not  sailed  southwestward 
more  than  thirty  miles,  when  Espinosa, 
standing  on  the  deck  of  the  ^'  Trinidad," 
which  was  ahead  of  the  ''Victoria,"  espied  an  island 
longer,  and  yet  wilder  and  more  luxuriant  in  its 
foliage  and  vegetation  than  any  he  had  before  seen. 
It  was  a  bright,  glowing  morning  in  summer,  and 
the  tropical  air  was  heavy  with  the  perfume  of 
fruit  and  flower,  as  a  gentle  breeze  blew  off  the 
land  towards  the  ships. 

As  the  island  was  neared,  however,  Espinosa, 
who  resolved  to  land  if  circumstance  favored  it, 
saw  no  harbor  where  to  enter.  The  shores  rose 
in  high  and  abrupt  bluffs;  and  in  places  where 
there  were  bays  or  inlets,  the  water  near  the  shore 
proved  so  full  of  rocks  that  to  approach  any  of 
them  would  have  been  dangerous.  So  he  skirted 
the  coast  of  the  island  all  that  day,  and  a  part  of 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  225 

the  next ;  and  was  surprised  at  its  extent  and  at 
all  he  saw  on  the  shore.  Now  and  then  groups 
of  natives  appeared  on  the  bluffs,  of  a  more 
dusky  hue  and  wilder  appearance  than  those  at 
Palawan ;  but  they  did  not  seem  afraid  of  the 
ships,  gazing  at  them  rather  with  curiosity  than 
with  terror  or  hostility. 

About  noon  on  the  second  day,  Espinosa  at 
last  caught  sight  of  a  good  harbor,  beyond  which 
the  cliffs  jutted  far  into  the  sea.  The  harbor 
was  evidently  at  the  mouth  of  a  river;  and  on 
the  banks  of  this  was  to  be  seen  a  large  and 
prosperous-looking  town.  The  island  indeed,  was 
Borneo,  and  the  town  its  capital,  Bruni.  Bruni 
was  situated  on  the  northwest  coast. 

Espinosa,  who  had  grown  bold  and  confident 
by  the  good  treatment  he  had  received  since 
leaving  Sebu,  did  not  hesitate  to  enter  the  port, 
and  to  anchor  his  ships  in  a  favorable  place, 
quite  near  the  shore.  The  natives  crowded  along 
the  beach,  but  their  demonstrations  were  not  at 
all  unfriendly.  They  acted  as  if  European  ships 
were  not  a  wholly  unwonted  sight  to  them,  but 
as  if  they  were  not  so  new  as  to  have  ceased  to 
be  an  attractive  sight. 


226 


MAGELLAN. 


That  night  the  Spaniards  remained  quietly  in 
their  ships,  mounting  guard,  of  course,  lest  by  any 
chance  the  islanders  should  prove  hostile.  No 
incident,  however,  disturbed  the  quiet  of  the 
dark  hours;  and  officers  and  crews  slept  soundly. 

The  morning  was  not  far  advanced,  when 
Espinosa  saw  a  very  handsome  barge,  its  prow 
and  stern  glittering  with  gilt,  and  a  white  and 
blue  flag  fluttering  from  the  bow,  push  out  from 
the  beach  and  approach  the  **  Trinidad."  The 
barge  was  full  of  gaily-dressed  natives,  with  very 
dark  skins  and  shaggy  hair,  who  were  playing 
upon  pipes  and  drums.  After  the  barge  came 
several  smaller  boats,  which  appeared  to  be  fish- 
ing smacks.  The  barge  presently  came  along- 
side ;  and,  without  more  ado,  eight  of  its  occu- 
pants, old  men  with  bushy  white  heads,  clam- 
bered upon  the  deck  of  the  flag-ship.  They  were 
chiefs  of  the  island ;  and  were  followed  by  their 
attendants,  who  brought  on  board  a  variety  of 
gifts  for  the  strangers. 

Espinosa  received  them  with  great  politeness, 
and  offered  them  seats  on  a  carpet  that  was 
spread  upon  the  deck,  which  they  accepted  with 
grave  and  stately  courtesy.     Then  they  caused 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  22*J 

their  attendants  to  spread  before  the  Spaniards 
the  good  things  they  had  brought.  There  were 
large  wooden  vessels,  gorgeously  painted,  and 
filled  with  betel,  the  fruit  they  constantly  chewed 
in  that  part  of  the  world ;  there  were  jars  of 
arrack,  a  curious  beverage,  which  the  Spaniards 
found  very  palatable,  but  quite  strong,  and  which, 
they  learned,  was  made  from  rice ;  there  were, 
besides,  fowl  and  goats,  sugar-cane  and  bananas. 
After  paying  a  visit  to  the  flag-ship,  the  chiefs 
went  on  board  the  ''Victoria,"  whither  they 
carried  similar  gifts,  and  met  with  an  equally 
hearty  welcome.  It  was  not  long  before  their 
good  treatment  had  its  effect  on  the  king  of 
Borneo.  He  sent  three  barges,  yet  more  splendid 
than  that  which  had  first  appeared,  full  of 
chiefs  and  musicians,  who  were  rowed  around 
the  ships,  the  musicians  playing  with  all 
their  might.  Espinosa  ordered  salutes  to  be 
fired,  and  the  flags  to  be  hoisted  at  the  mast- 
heads. Among  other  articles  that  the  natives 
brought,  as  gifts  from  their  monarch,  were  cakes 
made  of  rice,  honey  and  eggs;  all  of  which  were 
extremely  welcome  to  the  Spaniards,  who  eagerly 
consumed  them. 


228  '  MAGELLAN 

The  king  of  Borneo,  a  day  or  two  after,  sent  a 
message  that  the  Spaniards  might  not  only  pro- 
cure such  provisions  as  they  wished  on  shore, 
but  that  they  might  trade  freely  with  his  sub- 
jects. 

Espinosa  ordered  seven  of  his  principal  men, 
one  of  whom  was  Pigafetta,  to  get  into  one 
of  the  barges,  go  to  the  town,  and  visit  the 
king.  These  carried  with  them,  as  friendly 
offerings,  a  Turkish  coat  of  green  velvet,  a  chair 
of  violet-colored  velvet,  some  red  cloth,  a  cap,  a 
gilt  goblet,  a  glass  vase,  and,  oddly  enough,  a 
gilt  pen  and  ink  case ;  and,  to  be  given  to  the 
queen,  a  pair  of  slippers,  and  a  silver  case  full  of 
pins.  Presents  were  also  carried  for  the  king's 
chief  courtiers ;  for  Espinosa  rightly  judged  that 
it  was  of  no  small  importance  to  gain  the  friend- 
ship of  a  potentate  evidently  so  rich  and  power- 
ful. 

When  the  party  reached  the  quay  and  disem- 
barked, they  were  forced  to  wait  some  time  ;  for 
the  king  had  not  understood  that  they  were 
coming,  and  had  not  made  his  preparations  to 
receive  them. 

At  last,  however,  a  sight  greeted   their  eyes 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  229 

which  gave  them  a  still  higher  idea  of  the  royal 
splendor  of  Borneo.  Two  immense  elephant  , 
caparisoned  in  rich  and  vari-colored  silk,  came 
slowly  tramping  down  to  the  quay.  With  them 
were  twelve  natives,  all  richly  dressed,  and  bear- 
ing large  porcelain  vases  covered  with  silk  nap- 
kins. These  vases,  it  appeared,  were  intended  to 
receive  the  presents  which  the  Spaniards  had 
brought  with  them.  The  elephants  were  supplied 
with  palanquins  on  which  could  be  seated  quite 
a  number  of  men ;  and  the  Spaniards  clambered 
up  to  them  on  the  shoulders  of  the  natives. 

The  elephants  were  then  slowly  led  through 
the  streets  of  the  town,  which  was  a  far  hand- 
somer and  more  spacious  place  than  any  the 
Spaniards  had  hitherto  seen  in  the  islands.  As 
they  went  along,  the  people,  who  were  of  a 
higher  type  of  men  and  women  than  those  be- 
fore visited,  gathered  in  curious  crowds,  and 
lined  the  sides  of  the  streets.  They  were  quiet, 
though  Pigafetta  saw  many  fierce  and  savage- 
looking  faces  among  them. 

Pigafetta  and  his  comrades  were  conducted  to 
the  house  of  one  of  the  most  important  men, 
where,  it  being  now  nearly  dark,  they  were  invited 


230  MAGELLAN. 

to  enter,  and  stay  over-night.  They  found  every- 
thing in  the  house  much  more  elegant  and  com- 
fortable than  in  the  houses  at  Sebu.  Instead  of 
coarse  mats,  they  had  soft  cotton  rugs  to  sleep 
on;  and  the  viands  set  before  them  were  very 
pleasant  and  palatable. 

The  next  morning  the  elephants  were  again 
awaiting  them  at  the  door;  and  they  mounted 
the  palanquins,  and  set  out  for  the  royal  palace, 
the  men  who  bore  the  presents  going  before  them. 
The  palace  they  found  to  be  a  large  and  rather 
imposing  edifice,  the  hall  of  which  was  reached 
by  a  broad  flight  of  steps.  On  entering  the  hall, 
Pigafetta  was  amazed  at  its  aspect  of  show  and 
ceremony.  It  was  hung  with  brilliant  silks,  and 
was  full  of  the  dusky  courtiers  in  fine  clothes. 
Beyond  this  apartment  was  another,  not  quite 
so  spacious,  but  raised  a  few  feet  higher,  and 
reached  by  a  short  flight  of  steps ;  it  was 
very  richly  hung  with  long  curtains  of  silk  and 
brocade,  and  two  large  windows  admitted  the 
light.  Here  were  stationed  three  hundred  of  the 
king's  guard,  with  daggers  drawn.  Yet  beyond 
this  room  was  a  third,  much  smaller,  but  more 
splendidly   adorned ;    and    here  sat    the  king,  a 


ADVENTURES   AT    BORNEO.  2^1 

rather  fat  man,  forty  years  old,  on  a  great  cush- 
ion, with  one  of  his  little  boys.  The  king  was 
busily  chewing  the  eternal  betel. 

Surrounding  the  king  was  a  bevy  of  women  of 
various  complexions,  some  almost  as  light  as 
Europeans,  others  dark  enough  to  have  come 
from  Africa. 

The  visitors  were  not  allowed  to  approach 
nearer  the  monarch  than  the  first  hall.  There 
they  were  supplied  with  cushions,  so  placed  that 
they  could  see  the  king  in  the  distance.  When 
they  were  seated  they  were  given  to  understand 
that  they  could  not  themselves  speak  to  his 
majesty ;  but  that,  whatever  they  had  to  say  to 
him,  they  must  say  to  a  certain  chief;  this  chief 
would  tell  it  to  another,  who  would  repeat  it  to  a 
yet  higher  official ;  who,  in  his  turn,  would  deliver 
the  message  through  a  speaking-trumpet  to  the 
prime  minister,  who  stood  at  the  king's  side,  and 
by  whom  it  would  at  last  reach  the  royal  ears. 

At  the  same  time,  the  chief  who  gave  them 
these  instructions,  told  them  they  must  rise,  join 
their  hands  above  their  heads,  raise  first  one  and 
then  the  other  foot,  make  three  low  bows  to  the 
king,  and  then  kiss  their  hands  to  him. 


232  MAGELLAN. 

This  Pigafetta  and  his  comrades  did  with  great 
care  and  punctih'ousness ;  being  not  a  little 
amused  to  find,  in  this  semi-barbarous  and  pagan 
court,  quite  as  much  ceremony  as  in  the  palaces 
of  refined  Europe. 

They  then,  in  the  indirect  manner  that  has 
been  described,  made  known  to  the  royal  host 
the  message  which  Espinosa  had  sent.  It  was, 
that  they  were  subjects  of  the  king  of  Spain,  who 
wished  to  establish  peace  and  friendship  with  the 
king  of  Borneo,  and  for  permission  to  trade  with 
the  island.  The  next  thing  was  to  offer  the 
king  the  presents  they  had  brought ;  which 
were  accordingly  laid  at  his  feet  by  some  of 
his  attendants.  He  acknowledged  them  by  a 
slight  and  solemn  inclination  of  the  head  ;  and 
immediately  after  sent  to  the  Spaniards  some 
pieces  of  rick  silk  and  brocade. 

They  were  next  treated  to  cloves  and  cin- 
namon ;  and  while  they  were  eating,  the  cur- 
tains in  front  of  the  king  were  drawn  together, 
and  he  disappeared  from  view.  Pigaffetta  ob- 
served, on  this  occasion,  that  the  soldiers  stnd 
courtiers  wore  cloth  of  gold  and  silk,  that  their 
daggers  had  gold  hilts  studded  with  gems,  and 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  233 

that  their  fingers  were  fairly  covered  with  large 
rings. 

Deeply  impressed  with  all  that  they  had  seen, 
the  party  returned  to  the  house  of  the  chief 
where  they  had  lodged,  mounted,  as  when  they 
came,  upon  elephants.  There  they  were  once 
more  entertained  in  the  most  lavish  manner. 
The  hospitable  chief  feasted  them  upon  rice, 
chickens,  and  peacocks,  veal,  many  kinds  of  fish, 
and  the  not  unpleasant  arrack ;  these  things, 
too,  were  served  to  them  on  handsome  china 
dishes.  The  Spaniards  were  obliged  to  eat  with 
their  fingers  ;  but  the  rice  they  ate  with  gold 
spoons,  to  find  which,  in  Borneo,  much  surprised 
them. 

They  remained  two  days  in  the  chiefs  abode ; 
and  on  the  second  night  were  provided  not  only 
with  wax  candles,  but  even  with  oil  lamps. 
Everything  they  saw,  indeed,  astonished  them  at 
the  evident  riches  and  even  civilization  of  the 
island. 

When  Pigafetta  reported  the  adventures  of 
his  party  to  the  Admiral,  he  was  more  than  ever 
convinced  that  it  was  important  to  secure  the 
king's  good  will    for   the    Spaniards.     Espinosa 


234  MAGELLAN. 

was  impatient  to  reach  the  Moluccas ;  but 
was  so  attracted  by  all  that  he  had  seen  and 
heard  in  Borneo  that  he  made  up  his  mind  to 
prolong  his  stay.  Instead  of  a  sojourn  of  two  or 
three  days,  therefore,  the  ships  remained  an- 
chored in  the  harbor  nearly  a  month. 

Espinosa  himself,  as  well  as  his  officers  and 
men,  now  went  freely  to  and  fro,  every  day,  be- 
tween the  ships  and  the  town.  The  king's  barges 
were  always  ready  to  conduct  them,  and  the 
houses  of  the  chiefs  were  always  at  their  disposal. 
Espinosa  desired  the  monarch  to  visit  the  ships; 
but  was  told  that  he  never  stirred  away  from  his 
palace,  except  when  he  went  hunting,  which  he 
occasionally  did  with  a  few  chosen  princes  and 
nobles. 

The  Spaniards  availed  themselves  of  the  kindly 
disposition  of  the  people  to  open  trade  with 
them.  They  secured  a  warehouse  near  the  quay; 
and  here,  as  at  Sebu,  a  brisk  business  soon 
sprang  up.  The  people  of  Borneo,  it  turned  out, 
knew  much  better  the  value  of  the  articles  of- 
fered for  sale  by  the  Spaniards,  than  those  of 
Sebu  ;  and  Espinosa's  men  found  it  necessary  to 
display  the  best  articles  the  ships  afforded. 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  23$ 

Something  new  about  Borneo  and  its  people 
was  learned  every  day.  Espinosa  estimated  the 
population  of  the  town  at  nearly  one  hundred 
thousand.  A  large  part  of  it  was  built  on  piles 
driven  in  the  water;  the  houses  were  all  of 
wood,  and  were  reached  by  flights  of  steps.  In 
front  of  the  royal  palaoe  was  a  thick  and  high 
brick  wall,  with  port-holes.  This  was  intended 
as  a  kind  of  fort  to  protect  the  king. 

Espinosa  soon  learned  that  the  people  of  Borneo 
were  not  idolaters,  but  were  faithful  followers  of 
Mahomet ;  and  that  they  scrupulously  obeyed 
the  precepts  of  the  Koran.  They  never  ate  pig's 
flesh,  nor  the  flesh  of  any  animal  they  did  not 
themselves  kill.  The  mass  of  the  people  went 
almost  naked,as,  indeed,  the  hot  climate  in  which 
they  lived  made  it  almost  necessary  to  do ;  but 
the  nobles  and  soldiers,  as  we  have  seen,  dressed 
very  gaily. 

Their  money  was  not  unlike  the  European.  It 
consisted  of  bronze  coins,  pierced  in  the  centre 
for  stringing  together ;  and,  as  Espinosa  and  his 
companions  were  able  to  see  for  themselves,  the 
natives  were  very  skilful  in  making  fine  porcelain 
and  china.    Among  the  productions  of  the  island 


236  MAGELLAN. 

were  camphor,  cinnamon,  ginger,  oranges,  lem. 
ons,  melons,  cucumbers,  cabbage,  onions,  and 
sugar-canes  ;  their  animals  were  elephants,  horses, 
pigs,  goats,  fowl,  and  geese.  The  medicine  they 
thought  the  most  effective  was  quick-silver,  which 
they  were  bold  enough  to  swallow  when  ill. 

The  king,  it  appeared,  was  very  rich.  Many 
of  his  household  utensils  were  of  solid  gold ; 
some  of  his  plates  and  covers  were  artistically 
enamelled  and  chased.  Some  of  the  Spaniards, 
on  going  one  day  to  the  palace,  were  shown  two 
enormous  and  beautiful  pearls,  nearly  as  large  as 
hen's  eggs.  They  were  told  that  the  king  had 
bought  these  pearls  from  the  Arabs,  for  a  vast 
sum,  and  that  he  esteemed  them  his  most  pre- 
cious treasure. 

Early  one  morning,  shortly  before  the  day  set 
for  the  departure  of  the  ships  from  Borneo, 
Espinosa  was  awakened  to  hear  some  startling 
news.  The  king  and  people  had  treated  him  so 
kindly  and  generously,  that  he  had  long  ceased 
to  have  the  slightest  suspicion  of  their  good 
faith.  What  was  his  surprise  and  alarm,  then, 
when  one  of  his  officers,  entering  his  cabin,  ex- 
claimed : 


ADVENTURES    AT     BORNEO.  23/ 

**  Rise  quickly,  Admiral.  There  is  a  large  fleet 
of  junks  coming  towards  us,  full  of  armed  men. 
Their  design  is  without  doubt  a  hostile  one.  Un- 
less we  prepare  at  once  to  resist  them,  we  shall 
surely  be  overwhelmed !" 

Espinosa  arose,  dressed  himself  with  all 
speed,  and  ran  up  on  deck.  The  sight  which 
greeted  his  eyes  only  confirmed  the  officer's  re- 
port. There,  in  the  broad  bay,  which  sparkled 
with  the  reflection  of  the  first  rays  of  the  sun,  was 
a  fleet  of  native  junks,  with  their  bamboo  masts 
and  bark  sails,  of  which  there  could  not  be  less  than 
a  hundred.  They  were  divided  into  three  squad- 
rons, and  sailed  together  in  close  phalanx.  Their 
decks  were,  indeed,  fairly  crowded  with  Borneo 
warriors,  who  presented  a  very  formidable  aspect. 
Espinosa  at  once  made  up  his  mind  that  it  had 
been  the  intention  of  the  king  to  take  him  by 
surprise  ;  and  in  this,  if  it  was  his  purpose,  he 
had  quite  succeeded.  To  resist  so  large  and 
powerful  a  fleet  would  have  been  folly.  With 
his  handful  of  men,  and  his  few  cannon,  Espinosa 
could  not  hope  to  make  a  serious  impression 
upon  it.  He  resolved  to  lose  no  time  in  weigh- 
ing anchor  and  setting  sail,  so  as  to  escape  if 


238  MAGELLAN. 

possible,  before  it  was  too  late.  Meanwhile,  he 
was  beside  himself  with  anger  at  what  he  sup- 
posed to  be  the  unparalleled  perfidy  of  the  king 
of  Borneo. 

The  order  to  weigh  anchor  was  given,  and  the 
"  Trinidad"  and  *'  Victoria"  began  to  move.  At 
this  moment  several  junks,  which  had  been  lying 
just  by  the  ships  for  several  days,  showed  signs, 
as  Espinosa  thought,  of  following  them.  He  or- 
dered them  to  be  fired  upon  with  the  cannon. 
The  balls  did  deadly  work.  Two  of  the  junks 
foundered,  and  two  more  went  aground  on  a 
shoal,  in  trying  to  escape  the  attack  ;  while  a  num- 
ber of  their  occupants  were  killed. 

Espinosa  soon  had  reason  to  bitterly  regret  his 
haste  in  firing  upon  these  junks.  A  smaller  boat 
was  seen  rapidly  approaching  the  flag-ship,  show- 
ing a  flag  of  truce.  When  it  came  up,  Espinosa 
permitted  a  chief,  who  was  standing  up  in  the  boat 
and  eagerly  waving  his  arms,  to  come  on  board. 

All  was  then  explained.  It  seemed  that  it  was 
not  at  all  the  object  of  the  large  fleet  of  junks  to 
attack  the  Spaniards.  This  armament  was  just 
returning  from  a  warlike  expedition  to  the  island 
of  Luzon,  sorne  leagues  away,  where  the  soldiers 


ADVENTURES    AT    BORNEO.  239 

had  been  engaged  in  a  fierce  conflict  with  a  pow- 
erful enemy  of  their  sovereign.  The  chief  city 
of  the  island  had  been  sacked,  and  many  prisoners 
and  much  booty  taken. 

The  Admiral  made  all  haste  to  return  to  his 
old  anchorage  in  the  harbor,  and  to  make  all  the 
reparation  he  could  for  having  attacked  the  junks 
and  killed  those  who  were  in  them.  The  king 
was  easily  persuaded  of  the  error  Espinosa  had 
committed,  and  accepted  his  apologies  and  pres- 
ents with  cordial  good  will ;  and  from  that  time 
until  the  ships  sailed  their  relations  continued  to 
be  of  the  most  friendly  nature.  The  ships  received 
new  supplies  of  provisions,  wood,  and  water  ;  and 
Espinosa  found,  on  balancing  his  accounts,  that 
the  active  trade  with  the  towns-people  had  been 
quite  profitable. 

It  was  autumn  when  the  "Victoria"  and  the 
"  Trinidad,"  with  flags  flying  and  cannon  bellow- 
ing forth  their  noisy  farewells,  at  last  sailed  out 
of  the  hospitable  harbor  of  Borneo,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  their  way  in  search  of  the  Moluccas. 


240  MAGELLAN. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DISCOVERY    OF    THE    SPICE    ISLANDS. 

SPINOSA  had  learned  that,  in  searching 
for  the  Moluccas,  he  had  sailed  too  far 
westward;  and  on  leaving  Borneo  he 
deemed  it  wisest  to  return  on  the  track  by  which 
he  had  come,  and  to  pass  around  the  island  of 
Borneo  by  the  north  and  east.  Scarcely  were  the 
ships  fairly  out  to  sea,  when  the  Admiral  discov- 
ered that  they  were  both  leaky,  and  sadly  needed 
repairs ;  and  he  was  obliged  to  look  about  for  a 
convenient  island  to  haul  them  over  and  caulk 
them.  Seeing  a  place  that  seemed  fit  for  this 
purpose,  he  approached  it ;  but,  as  the  ''  Victoria" 
was  nearing  the  shore,  she  struck  on  some  shoals, 
and  came  near  being  lost.  She  was  got  off,  how- 
ever, though  with  great  difficulty.' 

About  the  same   time   the  "  Trinidad"  came 
very  near  being  blown  up,  with  all  on  board.     A 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS  24I 

sailor  was  snuffing  a  candle,  and  very  incautiously 
threw  the  lighted  wick  into  a  chest  of  gunpowder 
which  was  standing  near  by.  Quick  as  a  flash 
he  sprang,  grasped  and  extinguished  the  wick. 
In  another  instant,  a  terrible  explosion  must 
have  occurred. 

Finally  the  ships  found  a  harbor  on  an  island 
called  Cinbonbon,  where  the  repairs  might  be 
made  with  great  convenience ;  and  here  they 
cast  anchor.  On  examining  the  ships  more 
narrowly,  Espinosa  found  that  they  were  yet 
more  unseaworthy  than  he  had  at  first  thought. 
It  was  necessary  to  take  time  to  put  them  in 
thorough  order  again.  He  therefore  resolved  to 
remain  at  Cinbonbon,  as  long  as  was  necessary 
for  this  purpose. 

While  the  carpenters  were  busy  with  the  ships, 
the  sailors  went  on  shore,  and  built  little  huts, 
where  they  could  stay  with  more  comfort  than 
on  ship-board.  Cinbonbon,  like  nearly  all  the 
islands  in  the  Archipelago,  was  very  picturesque 
and  fruitful.  Some  of  the  men  were  set  to  gath- 
ering wood  in  the  forest,  for  the  repairs  on  the 
ships ;  and  this  they  found  no  easy  matter,  as 
the  ground  was  fairly  covered  with  briars  and 


242  MAGELLAN. 

thorny  shrubs,  and  most  of  the  men  having  no 
shoes,  were  obliged  to  go  among  them  bare- 
foot. 

Some  amused  themselves  with  hunting  the 
wild  boars,  which  were  plentiful  and  very  savage 
in  the  island;  others  went  crocodile  shooting; 
others  contented  themselves  with  the  gentle 
sport  of  catching  fish,  oysters,  and  turtles,  with 
which  to  regale  their  comrades.  These  caught 
many  fish,  the  like  of  which  they  had  never  be- 
fore seen ;  one  had  a  head  which  resembled  that 
of  a  pig,  and  which  had  two  horns.  Pigafetta  saw 
with  astonishment  the  leaves  of  a  certain  kind 
of  tree,  which,  when  they  fell  to  the  ground, 
moved  about  as  if  they  were  living  things. 
"  I  kept  one,"  he  said,  "  nine  days  in  a  box. 
When  I  opened  it,  the  leaf  skipped  round  the  box. 
I  believe  they  live  upon  air."  The  mystery  of  this 
is,  however,  easily  explained.  If  Pigafetta  had  ex- 
amined his  animated  leaf  a  little  more  closely, 
he  would  have  seen  that  its  motions  came  from 
an  insect  which  lived  inside  of  it. 

While  the  ships  were  at  Cinbonbon,  the  sailors 
captured  a  junk  that  was  passing  by,  loaded  with 
cocoanuts,  which    they  appropriated ;    allowing 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  243 

the  natives  to  escape  as  best  they  could  among 
the  islands. 

It  was  more  than  a  month  before  the  ships 
were  ready  to  sail  for  Cinbonbon.  They  then 
continued  their  voyage  northward  and  east- 
ward, taking  in  Mindanao,  where  they  had  before 
tarried.  On  their  way,  as  they  went,  the  Span- 
iards captured  all  the  junks  they  could  lay  their 
hands  on,  compelling  them  to  give  up  their 
cargoes,  which  in  some  cases  consisted  of  rice, 
pigs,  goats,  fowl,  figs,  sugar-canes,  and  palm 
wine.  They  passed  among  many  islands  which 
they  had  not  before  seen ;  and  at  one  of  these 
they  obtained  some  cinnamon,  of  which  they  had 
long  been  in  search,  and  for  which  they  willingly 
exchanged  some  knives. 

At  last  they  reached  a  region  where  there  were 
more  signs  of  thrift  and  commerce,  where  the 
natives  were  tall,  robust,  and  intelligcnt-lookhig 
men,  and  where  the  vessels  were  larger  and  bet- 
ter made  even  than  those  of  Borneo.  Then 
Espinosa  felt  sure  that  he  was  approaching  the 
far-famed  Moluccas,  or  Spice  Islands,  which  it 
was  one  of  the  main  objects  of  Magellan  to  find. 
At  one  of  the  islands  at  which  the  ships  stopped, 


244  MAGELLAN. 

a  chief  told  him  that  he  knew  where  the 
Moluccas  were;  and  he  proceeded  to  describe 
the  quarter  in  which  they  lay.  Espinosa  lost  no 
time  in  following  the  directions  given  by  this 
chief.  He  now  took  a  southeast  course,  and  made 
as  much  speed  as  the  winds  and  current  would 
permit. 

The  ships  had  not,  however,  gone  far,  when  a 
furious  tropical  storm  burst  upon  them,  and  for 
awhile  threatened  their  destruction.  For  som.e 
days  the  Spaniards  were  overwhelmed  with  fear, 
lest  they  should  be  dashed  upon  the  rocks  of  the 
islands  and  reefs  that  thickly  studded  the  seas. 
When  the  tempest  subsided  a  little  they  made  all 
haste  to  seek  shelter  in  a  bay.  It  happened  that, 
on  the  island  where  this  bay  was,  there  was  a 
Malay  familiar  with  the  whole'  region  of  the 
Archipelago ;  and  Espinosa  was  not  long  in  per- 
suading him,  by  means  of  presents,  to  undertake 
to  pilot  the  ships  to  the  Spice  Islands. 

It  was  a  mild  morning,  early  in  November, 
when  Espinosa,  standing  on  the  deck  of  the  flag- 
ship, with  the  Malay  pilot  by  his  side,  espied  in 
the  dim  distance  four  islands,  lying  near  to- 
gether, all  of  which  were  very  uneven  and  hilly. 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  245 

The  Malay,  as  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of  them, 
exclaimed  that  they  were  the  Moluccas.  The 
Admiral  delighted  to  hear  this,  at  once  told  the 
crew,  and  signalled  the  good  news  to  the  *'  Vic- 
toria," which  was  following  at  the  distance  of 
about  a  half-a-mile.  The  wanderers  had  been 
more  than  two  years  on  their  voyage ;  and  were 
now  to  behold  with  their  own  eyes,  the  islands, 
the  report  of  whose  riches  had  dazzled  all  Europe. 
In  their  joy  they  fired  the  cannon,  and  made 
merry  on  the  decks. 

Espinosa  only  feared  one  thing.  He  had 
heard,  in  Spain,  that  these  Spice  Islands,  which 
promised  so  much  to  their  conqueror,  were  well- 
nigh  inaccessible  to  ships.  They  were  said  to 
be  surrounded  with  dangerous  shoals,  and  to 
be  usually  enveloped  in  dark,  dismal  fogs. 
The  islands  now  stood  out  distinct  and  bold, 
however,  in  an  atmosphere  which  grew  clearer  as 
the  morning  advanced  ;  and  his  anxiety  ceased, 
when,  on  approaching  the  nearest,  he  found  the 
water  many  fathoms  deep,  close  up  to  the  shore. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  ships  en- 
tered a  wide  and  fine  harbor,  and  were  able  tt) 
cast  anchor  in   twenty  fathoms   of   water.     On 


246  MAGELLAN. 

the  shore  stood  a  town  of  prosperous  and  almost 
civiHzed  appearance ;  and  along  the  beach,  and 
the  rocks  that  rose  from  the  water's  edge  on 
either  side,  the  natives  were  gathered  in  large 
numbers,  gazing  curiously  at  the  European  ves- 
sels as  they  lay  in  the  roadstead.  The  island 
the  Spaniards  thus  reached  was  one  of  the  larger 
Moluccas,  and  was  called  Tidor. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  sultan  of  the 
island,  whose  name,  as  the  Spaniards  soon  learned, 
was  Almansor,  came  out  in  a  gorgeous  barge, 
and  rowed  around  the  two  ships.  When  the 
barge  passed  under  the  bows  of  the  "  Trinidad," 
Espinosa  was  able  to  perceive  that  the  sultan 
was  of  a  cream-colored  complexion,  with  a  black 
flowing  beard,  about  forty-five  years  of  age,  well- 
built,  and  strikingly  handsome.  He  wore  a  fine 
white  tunic,  the  ends  of  the  sleeves  of  which  were 
embroidered  with  gold  lace ;  and  a  long  skirt,  or 
robe,  which  fell  to  his  feet.  On  his  head  he  had 
a  thin  silk  veil,  over  which  he  wore  a  garland  of 
flowers.  His  appearance  was  very  gay  and  pic- 
turesque. Above  him  was  spread  a  silk  umbrella, 
to- protect  him  from  the  sun. 

Espinosa  made  all  haste  to  welcome  the  sul- 


DISCOVERY   OF    THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  2\'J 

tan's  friendly  advances.  He  caused  a  long-boat 
to  be  lowered,  got  into  it,  and  rowed  to  the  side 
of  the  barge.  The  sultan  smiled,  stretched  out 
his  hands,  and  beckoned  pleasantly  to  the  Ad- 
miral to  come  on  board  his  vessel.  This  Espin- 
osa  did  willingly  and  with  alacrity. 

He  was  invited  to  take  a  seat  beside  the  mon- 
arch. On  the  other  side  sat  the  young  prince, 
the  sultan's  son,  who  held  a  long  gold  sceptre; 
while  in  front  of  the  sultan  crouched  two  of  his 
attendants  with  gold  ewers  full  of  water,  with 
which  the  sultan  moistened  his  fingers  after  tak- 
ing betel,  which  two  other  attendants  had  ready 
for  him  in  gold  boxes. 

It  appeared  that  the  sultan  was  a  Mohamme- 
dan, and  a  man  of  no  inferior  intelligence.  Es- 
pinosa  had  taken  care  to  have  an  interpreter 
with  him  ;  and  through  him  he  now  entered  into 
conversation  with  his  royal  host. 

"I  long  ago  dreamed,"  said  the  sultan,  "that 
some  ships  were  coming  hither  from  distant 
countries.  I  am  an  astrologer  as  well  as  a  king, 
and  have  examined  the  moon  to  see  if  this  was 
true;  and  the  moon  assured  me  it  was  so.  And 
now  I  see  that  the  moon  did  not  deceive  me." 


248 

**  We  have  come  to  offer  you  the  friendship  of 
our  great  sovereign,  the  king  of  Spain,"  replied 
Espinosa ;  "  and  to  trade  peaceably  with  your 
people ;  and  I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  this 
kind  reception." 

"  If  you  are  true  and  sincere,"  returned  the 
sultan,  "  you  shall  be  welcome ;  and  I  shall  re- 
ceive and  return  your  sovereign's  friendship  with 
delight." 

Espinosa  then  invited  the  sultan  to  go  on 
board  the  flag-ship.  He  consulted* apart  a  few 
moments  with  several  of  his  nobles,  and  then, 
turning  to  the  Admiral,  signified  his  willingness 
to  comply  with  his  proposal. 

As  the  barge  drew  near  the  "  Trinidad,"  the 
cannon  bellowed  forth  their  hoarse  welcome ; 
the  flags  were  run  up  at  the  mast-heads;  and 
the  officers  and  sailors,  gathering  at  the  side  of 
the  deck,  waved  their  hats  and  loudly  cheered. 
Preparations  to  receive  the  monarch  were  hur- 
riedly made;  and  when  he  had  mounted  the  lad- 
der, followed  by  some  of  his  attendants  and  by  Es- 
pinosa, he  was  conducted  to  a  red  velvet  chair, 
which  had  been  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  deck. 
Espinosa  then  advanced,  and  bowing  low,  threw 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  249 

over  the  royal  shoulders  a  rich  yellow  velvet  rug. 
Each  Spaniard  came  forward  and  kissed  the  sul- 
tan's hand,  and  then  sat  down  on  the  deck  in 
front  of  him.  He  was  regaled  with  wine  and 
cakes,  and 'appeared  highly  pleased  with  his  re- 
ception. He  declared  to  Espinosa  that  he  was 
now  quite  sure  of  the  good  faith  of  the  strangers  ; 
and  as  a  proof  of  this,  he  gave  full  permission  to 
them  to  go  on  shore  as  much  as  they  pleased, 
and  to  use  the  houses  of  his  subjects  just  as  if 
they  were  their  own. 

Not  content  with  this  concession,  the  sovereign 
said  that,  in  honor  of  the  sovereign  of  his  guests, 
his  island  should  no  longer  be  called  Tidor,  but 
Castile. 

Before  the  sultan  departed,  Espinosa,  who  was 
most  anxious  to  make  sure  of  his  good  will,  over- 
whelmed him  with  presents.  He  gave  him  the 
red  velvet  chair  in  which  he  had  sat  on  the  deck; 
he  had  a  number  of  pieces  of  cloth,  linen,  bro. 
cade,  gLud  damask,  brought,  and  laid  at  the  royal 
feet ;  he  begged  him  to  accept  some  large  mir- 
rors, some  glass  beads,  knives,  scissors,  combs,  and 
goblets.  To  the  young  prince  he  was  not  less  gen- 
erous, presenting  him  with  a  fine  cap,  a  robe  of 


250  MAGELLAN. 

silk  and  gold,  and  a  handsome  mirror;  while  he 
lavished  other  gifts  of  knives,  caps,  and  cloths 
upon  the  principal  men  of  the  sultan's  retinue. 

It  may  well  be  believed  that  the  sultan  and  his 
people,  after  this,  were  fairly  delighted  with  their 
visitors.  As  the  sultan  descended  into  his  barge, 
he  called  out  to  Espinosa  to  bring  his  ships  yet 
closer  to  the  shore ;  and  told  him  that  if  any  of 
the  natives  approached  them  at  night,  he  might 
fire  at  them  as  much  as  he  pleased.  The  depart- 
ing barge  was  saluted  with  the  cannon  and  the 
loud  acclamations  of  the  men  ;  and  that  night 
Espinosa  gave  a  bountiful  supper  to  the  ofificers 
of  both  ships,  who  made  merry  over  their  good 
fortune  in  finding  the  Moluccas,  and  in  being  so 
well  received  there. 

The  following  days  were  employed  much  as 
the  time  had  been  when  the  ships  were  sojourn- 
ing at  Borneo.  The  men  went  on  shore  freely, 
and  were  regaled  very  hospitably  in  the  town, 
and  by  the  royal  court.  They  opened  a  lively 
trade  with  the  natives,  their  main  object  being 
to  fill  up  their  cargoes  with  spices;  and  they 
also  took  in  an  abundance  of  provisions  of  all 
kinds.     The  sultan  grew  every  day  more  cordial 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  25  I 

in  his  professions  and  more  hospitable  in  his  con- 
duct ;  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  was  ready  to 
swear  that  Tidor  and  Tarenate,  (a  neighboring 
island)  should  be  subject  to  the  king  of  Spain, 
for  whom  he  himself  would  "  fight  to  the 
death,"  as  his  faithful  vassal.  Finding  that  the 
Spaniards  were  anxious  to  obtain  a  quantity  of 
cloves,  he  went  in  person,  in  his  barge,  to  one  of 
the  other  islands,  and  brought  back  several  loads 
of  cloves  for  them. 

Espinosa  might  have  suspected  that  this  sud- 
den and  profuse  friendship  could  scarcely  be  sin- 
cere; but  at  first  he  had  full  faith  in  the  sultan's 
good  faith.  He  had  not  been  long  in  Tidor,  how- 
,ever,  before  events  took  place  that  put  him  on 
his  guard,  and  caused  him  to  hasten  as  much  as 
possible  the  loading  of  his  ships. 

Some  years  before,  it  seemed,  Francisco  Ser- 
rano, a  Portuguese  voyager,  and  the  friend  of  Ma- 
gellan who  had  first  put  it  into  his  head  to  make 
this  expedition,  had  found  the  Moluccas  by  sailing 
round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  eastward  from 
India.  He  had  won  the  friendship  of  the  king 
and  natives  of  the  isle  of  Tarenate,  near  Tidor ; 
and  had  there  established  a  Portuguese  trade 


252  MAGELLAN. 

station.  The  king  of  Tidor,  who  had  long  been 
at  war  with  the  king  of  Tarenate,  entertained  a 
violent  hatred  of  the  Portuguese ;  and  Espinosa 
heard  that,  on  one  occasion,  when  the  king  of 
Tidor  had  conquered  his  enemy,  he  had  caused 
Serrano  to  be  poisoned,  and  had  killed  all  the 
Portuguese  he  could  lay  his  hands  on.  Mean- 
while, the  Portuguese  trade  station  at  Tarenate 
was  still  in  existence,  at  the  time  Espinosa  came 
to  Tidor. 

One  day  a  fleet  of  barges  appeared  at  the  head 
of  the  bay,  sailing  from  the  direction  of  the 
island  of  Tarenate  ;  and  when  they  came  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  ships,  they  cast  anchor,  and 
sent  a  messenger  on  board  the  "  Trinidad."  From 
him  Espinosa  learned  that  the  prince  of  Taren- 
ate, though  an  enemy  of  the  king  of  Tidor,  had 
arrived  to  make  peace  and  friendship  with  the 
Spaniards,  and  desired  to  come  on  board  the 
flag-ship.  Espinosa  replied  that  he  could  not  re- 
ceive the  prince  without  first  obtaining  the  con- 
sent of  the  king  of  Tidor.  This  the  king  readily 
granted  ;  but  now  the  prince  grew  suspicious, 
and  moved  away  from  the  ships.  Espinosa 
thereupon  sent  him  some  presents,  and  begged 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE   SPICE   ISLANDS.  253 

that  the  Portuguese  factor  in  Tarenate,  Pedro  de 
Lorosa,  should  come  and  visit  the  ships.  A  few 
days  after  Lorosa  made  his  appearance.  He 
told  Epinosa  that  he  had  been  in  the  Moluccas 
ten  years,  and  that  he  had  already  heard  of  Ma- 
gellan's expedition.  He  surprised  the  Admiral, 
moreover,  by  declaring  that  the  king  of  Portugal, 
angry  that  Magellan  had  sailed  in  Spanish  ships, 
had  sent  out  a  fleet  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  contest  his  passage;  but  that  this  fleet 
had  been  compelled  to  turn  back,  on  account  of 
contrary  winds. 

Espinosa  finally  persuaded  Lorosa  to  return  to 
Spain  with  him ;  and  they  soon  became  fast 
friends.  It  was  not  long  before  Lorosa  grew 
more  confidential,  and  began  to  warn  Espinosa 
against  trusting  too  much  to  the  sincerity  of  the 
king  of  Tidor.  He  related  how  the  Portuguese 
had  been  assassinated,  and  expressed  his  sus- 
picions that  the  Spaniards  should  meet  the  same 
fate  unless  a  strict  watch  were  kept. 

Some  things  that  happened  about  this  time 
served  to  arouse  Espinosa's  fears  of  the  king's  in- 
tentions. The  king  wished  to  give  a  great  feast 
to  the  officers  and  crews.     Espinosa  remembered 


254  MAGELLAN. 

that  it  was  by  giving  such  a  feast  that  the  pen 
fidious  king  of  Sebu  had  decoyed  the  other  cap-- 
tains  into  his  house,  only  to  murder  them  with^ 
out  mercy;  and  prudently  declined  the  invita- 
tion. He  saw,  too,  that  the  Tidor  chiefs  took 
every  chance  they  could  get  to  whisper  mysteri- 
ously to  the  prisoners  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  the  other  islands ;  and  guessed  that  this  was 
for  no  good  purpose. 

Meanwhile,  the  Spaniards  made  excursions 
among  the  other  islands,  and  busied  themselves 
with  completing  their  cargoes.  In  these  excur- 
sions they  saw  and  heard  many  curious  things, 
a  description  of  which  we  will  reserve  for  another 
chapter. 


MAGELLAN.  255 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

SAILING    TOWARDS   HOME. 

HE  Spaniards  found  the  other  islands  as 
beautiful  and  as  fruitful  as  Tidor;  and 
such  was  the  fear  with  which  they  were 
regarded  by  the  natives — for  it  was  evidently 
their  sense  of  the  warlike  superiority  of  the  Span- 
iards, more  than  any  love  for  them,  that  rendered 
these  barbarians  so  submissive  and  friendly — that 
they  were  allowed  to  go  freely  into  the  houses, 
and  to  wander  at  will  over  the  fields  and  through 
the  forests. 

Pigafetta,  the  inquisitive  Italian  who  has  been 
so  often  mentioned,  seized  the  opportunity  to 
observe  everything  in  these  strange  islands  with 
a  curious  eye.  He  was  especially  struck  with  the 
spice  trees  and  shrubs,  which  yielded  products 
so  valuable  in  Europe;  and  one  of  his  first  ex- 
cursions was  to  a  grove  of  clove  trees. 


256  MAGELLAN. 

These  he  found  to  grow  quite  high,  with 
trunks  as  thick  as  a  man's  body ;  and  they  only 
grew  on  high  land.  The  branches  spread  out  at 
the  middle,  and  narrowed  to  the  shape  of  a  cone 
at  the  top.  The  birk  was  of  an  olive  color,  and 
the  leaves  much  like  those  of  the  laurel.  The 
cloves,  he  found,  were  white  when  they  first  ap- 
peared ;  they  gradually  deepened  into  red,  and 
when  dry  became  dark  brown.  Two  crops  were 
gathered  each  year;  one  at  Christmas,  arid  the 
other  about  the  middle  of  June.  The  leaves, 
bark,  and  even  the  wood  of  the  clove  tree  had 
the  same  perfume,  he  noticed,  that  the  clove 
itself  had.  The  natives  told  him  that  the  cloves 
were  ripened  by  the  mountain  mists;  and  must 
be  gathered  in  the  nick  of  time,  or  they  would 
become  so  hard  as  to  be  useless. 

He  examined  with  equal  curiosity  the  nutmeg 
trees,  which  reminded  him  of  the  walnut  trees 
of  Europe.  The  nutmegs,  when  gathered,  were 
shaped  like  small  quinces,  and  had  a  soft  fur,  or 
down,  upon  them.  The  outside  rind  was  quite 
thick;  beneath  it  was  a  thin,  web-like  covering: 
under  this,  a  bright  red  bark,  and  within  the 
bark  the  nut  itself,  as  we  see  it  in  the  market. 


SAILING   TOWARDS   HOME.  25/ 

The  ginger  shrub  did  not  escape  Pigafetta's 
quick  eye.  He  found  that  this  shrub  shot  out  of 
the  ground  in  long  branches  Hke  the  shoots  of 
canes,  and  that  its  leaves  were  like  those  of  the 
cane.  The  ginger  itself  was,  of  course,  the  frag- 
rant root  of  the  shrub  ;  in  order  to  dry  it,  the 
natives  used  lime. 

Many  of  the  ways  and  customs  of  the  people 
were  interesting.  It  appeared  that  the  bread  they 
ate  was  made  of  the  wood  of  a  tree  that  some- 
what resembled  the  palm.  They  took  a  piece  of 
the  wood  and  extracted  certain  long  black  thorns 
they  found  inclosed  in  it ;  these  they  pounded  into 
a  powder,  and  cooked  it  as  we  do  flour.  The  bread 
thus  made,  however,  did  not  seem  to  Pigafetta 
very  palatable. 

The  king  of  Tidor  had  no  less  than  two  hun- 
dred  wives,  one  only  of  whom  was  acknowledged 
as  his  queen.  The  others  were  inferior  to  her  in 
rank.  These  wives  all  lived  in  a  long  mansion 
outside  the  town,  where  the  king  visited  them 
when  he  chose.  They  were  most  carefully 
guarded;  and  if  any  man  were  found  near  their 
house,  either  at  night  or  in  the  day-time,  he  was 
at  once  put  to  death.     The  king  always  ate  alone, 


258  MAGELLAN. 

or  with  his  queen,  on  a  raised  platform,  below 
which  the  rest  of  his  family  were  gathered.  No 
one  else  ate  until  his  majesty  had  finished.  Each 
noble  family  was  bound  to  provide  the  monarch 
with  a  wife.  The  only  other  person  who  was 
permitted  to  have  a  number  of  wives  was  a  sort 
of  bishop,  or  high  priest,  whose  rank  was  next  to 
the  king.  This  holy  personage  had  forty  wives, 
and  more  than  a  hundred  children. 

These  islanders,  like  those  of  Mindanao,  and 
others  the  Spaniards  had  already  visited,  regard- 
ed the  pig  as  a  sort  of  sacred  animal;  and  as 
soon  as  the  King  of  Tidor  found  that  there  were 
pigs  on  board  the  ships,  he  begged  the  Admiral 
that  they  should  all  be  at  once  slaughtered,  say- 
ing that  he  would  fully  make  up  for  the  loss  with 
fowl  and  goats.  Espinosa  humored  him,  and  had 
all  the  pigs  killed,  and  hung  up  on  deck,  so  that 
the  natives  could  see  them.  Whenever  a  native 
espied  the  carcasses,  he  at  once  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands,  so  as  not  to  perceive  or  smell 
them. 

On  one  of  the  islands,  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
natives  to  worship  the  first  thing  they  saw,  when 
they  went   out   in   the   morning,   as   their    god 


SAILING    TOWARDS   HOME.  25g 

throughout  the  day.  It  was  on  this  island, 
called  Gilolo,  that  Pigafetta  found  some  bamboos 
growing  near  the  shore,  "  as  thick  as  a  man's 
leg,"  which  contained  in  their  hollow  interior  a 
a  kind  of  water,  which  he  found  very  excellent 
to  drink.  The  king  of  the  island  had  no  less 
than  five  hundred  children. 

The  King  of  Tidor  was  much  grieved  when  he 
found  that  Espinosa  had  begun  to  suspect  his  in- 
tentions ;  and  came  almost  weeping  to  him,  to 
assure  him  of  his  good  faith.  Taking  a  Koran, 
the  king  put  it  on  his  head  four  or  five  times, 
then  kissed  it,  and  swore  by  Mohamet  to  be  true 
to  the  Spanish  sovereign.  Espinosa  was  now 
convinced  that  he  h  ad  wronged  the  king ;  the 
more  so,  when  soon  after  he  learned  that  some 
of  the  native  chiefs  had  tried  to  persuade  the 
king  to  kill  all  the  Spaniards,  but  that  he  had 
sternly  resisted  their  demand. 

At  last  the  time  came  to  take  leave  of  the  Mo- 
luccas, and  to  set  out  on  the  voyage  homeward. 
But  just  as  the  final  preparations  for  departure 
had  been  made,  and  the  ships  had  actually 
started,  a  serious  accident  happened.  The  ''Vic- 
toria" sailed  first ;  the  "  Trinidad"  was  about  to  fol- 


26o  MAGELLAN. 

low,  when  one  of  the  sailors  discovered  that  she 
was  leaking  very  badly  in  the  hold.  In  all  haste 
some  of  the  men  discharged  her  cargo,  piling  it 
on  the  strand,  at  hap-hazafd  ;  while  others  worked 
with  desperate  energy  at  the  pumps.  This  con' 
tinned  all  day ;  but  the  labor  was  a  vain  one. 
The  water  spurted  into  the  ship  as  if  forced  in 
by  a  large  pump  ;  and  it  continually  gained  in 
the  hold. 

On  hearing  of  this  serious  mishap,  the  king  of 
Tidor  at  once  offered  the  Admiral  his  aid.  He 
brought  with  him  five  or  six  native  divers,  who, 
putting  on  large  masks,  plunged  under  the 
waves,  and  searched  for  some  time  for  the  place 
where  the  ship  leaked.  The  divers  went  under  with 
their  hair  all  loose,  thinking  that  their  long  locks, 
when  they  came  near  the  leak,  would  be  sucked  to- 
wards it,  and  thus  show  where  it  was.  But  noth- 
ing could  be  discovered,  and  Espinosa  was  forced 
to  abandon  all  hope  of  making  his  good  flag-ship 
seaworthy  again. 

It  only  remained  to  transfer  so  much  of  his 
cargo  to  the  ''  Victoria"  as  the  latter  would  safely 
hold,  and  leave  the  "  Trinidad"  behind.  The  king 
said  that  he  had  more  than  two  hundred  carpen- 


SAILING    TOWARDS    HOME.  26l 

ters,  and  that  they  should  be  set  to  work  repair- 
ing the  ship  ;  and  that  if  her  crew  would  remain  at 
Tidor  till  she  was  whole,  they  should  be  cared 
for  "as  if  they  were  his  own  children."  These 
generous  offers  touched  Espinosa's  heart,  and  he 
finally  decided  to  accept  them.  The  east  winds, 
favorable  to  a  westward  voyage,  were  now  steadily 
blowing ;  and  it  was  full  time  for  the  "  Victoria" 
to  take  advantage  of  them  and  be  off.  At  the 
last  moment,  Espinosa  resolved  to  remain  at 
Tidor,  and  to  share  the  fate  of  the  faithful  crew 
of  the  ship  he  had  so  long  commanded.  With 
him  staid  fifty-three  men.  Meanwhile  he  confi- 
ded the  command  of  the  returning  "  Victoria"  to 
his  brave  lieutenant,  Juan  Elcano,  who,  with  a 
crew  of  forty-seven  Europeans,  and  thirteen 
Malay  prisoners  who  had  been  captured  in  the 
boats,  at  once  made  ready  to  set  sail  for  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

On  Saturday,  the  2ist  of  December,  1520,  the 
king  of  Tidor  visited  the  Spaniards  for  the  last 
time.  He  brought  on  board  the  "Victoria"  two 
Malay  pilots,  whom  he  offered  to  Elcano  to  con- 
duct the  ship  safely  beyond  the  islands,  and  into 
the   Indian  Ocean.     He   embraced   the  captain, 


262  MAGELLAN. 

with  many  protestations  of  friendship  ;  and  as  he 
bade  adieu  to  him,  he  shed  many  tears. 

The  ''Victoria"  set  sail  about  mid-day.  Es- 
pinosa  and  his  companions,  who  were  to  remain 
until  the  "  Trinidad"  was  repaired,  and  was  ready 
to  follow  her  sister-ship,  accompanied  the  *'  Vic- 
toria" some  distance  beyond  the  bay,  in  their 
long-boats.  The  king  also,  with  several  barges, 
proceeded  for  many  miles  side  by  side  with  the 
departing  ship.  As  the  "  Victoria"  finally  emerged 
from  the  bay  where  she  had  met  with  a  hospi- 
tality so  bounteous  and  evidently  sincere,  her 
guns  boomed  a  parting  salute  to  the  dis- 
abled "Trinidad,"  and  from  the  decks  of  the 
latter  an  echoing  "  God-speed"  was  given  by  the 
mouths  of  the  cannon  to  the  vessel  homeward- 
bound. 

The  ''Victoria,"  guided  by  the  faithful  pilots 
provided  by  the  king  of  Tidor,  sailed  southwest- 
ward  from  that  island,  and  soon  the  Moluccas 
were  lost  to  view.  The  voyagers  were  still,  how- 
ever, in  the  midst  of  the  Archipelago,  with  its 
innumerable  shoals  of  isles;  and  day  after  day 
they  progressed  across  a  sea  teeming  with  beauti- 
fully green  and  fertile  spots,  and  among  oriental 


SAILING    TOWARDS    HOME.  263 

races  strangely  differing  from  each  other  in  features 
and  customs. 

Elcano  was  eager  to  get  back  to  Spain,  and  to 
at  last  accomplish  the  tour  of  the  whole  world. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  desired  to  carry  back  to 
his  sovereign  as  complete  an  account  of  the  Archi- 
pelago as  possible.  As  he  sailed  in  the  direction 
of  the  Indian  Ocean,  therefore,  he  made  it  a 
point  to  stop  here  and  there  at  the  islands,  where 
it  was  evident  that  he  would  meet  with  a  friendly 
reception,  and  to  observe  their  people  and  pro- 
ductions. 

He  was  continually  surprised  by  the  natural 
richness  and  beauty  of  the  islands  he  passed,  and 
in  the  bays  of  which  he  anchored.  Everywhere 
there  was  the  greatest  abundance  of  tropical 
fruits,  and  especially  of  spices.  He  found  that 
the  inhabitants  of  many  of  these  islands  were 
cannibals,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  feast  on  the 
prisoners  they  captured  in  their  numerous  wars; 
others  were  Mohammedans,  and  betrayed  many 
indications  of  being  quite  civilized  and  intelligent. " 
On  one  island,  he  found  the  coast  peopled  by 
one  race,  followers  of  the  Prophet,  and  the 
interior  by  a  totally   different   race,  who   were 


264  .  MAGELLAN. 

ferocious,    savage,    and    inveterate    man-eaters. 

While  the  "Victoria"  was  proceeding  south- 
ward, she  encountered,  between  Buru  and  Solor, 
two  of  the  larger  islands,  one  of  those  sudden, 
tremendous  tornadoes,  or  wind  storms,  which  often 
burst  unexpectedly,  almost  out  of  a  clear  sky,  in 
the  tropics.  For  two  days  destruction  seemed 
inevitable.  At  one  moment  the  good  ship  was 
on  the  very  point  of  dashing  her  ribs  to  splinters 
on  the  rocks  of  an  island  ;  at  another,  she  threat- 
ened to  founder  in  a  terrific  whirlpool.  There 
were  times  when  the  desperate  crew  were  all 
ready  to  give  up,  and  cease  longer  to  resist  the 
overpowering  fury  of  the  elements.  But  Elcano 
refused  to  give  way  to  despair.  He  shared  the 
labors  of  his  men,  and  by  his  example  made  them 
ashamed  of  their  faltering ;  and  as  soon  as  the 
tempest  subsided  a  little,  he  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing the  "Victoria"  into  the  shelter  of  an  island 
bay. 

Landing  on  the  beach,  the  Spaniards  soon 
found  themselves  surrounded  by  the  fiercest  and 
most  savage-looking  people  they  had  yet  seen. 
One  of  the  strangest  things  was,  that  while  the 
men  stood  aloof,  in  staring  groups,  the  women 


SAILING   TOWARDS   HOME.  265 

advanced  boldly  and  threateningly  towards  the 
strangers,  and  drew  their  bows,  as  if  about  to 
shoot  a  volley  of  arrows  among  them.  Elcano 
sent  one  of  his  Malay  pilots  to  them  with  some 
presents,  however,  and  soon  succeeded  in  pacify- 
ing them. 

These  people  wore  their  shaggy  hair  In  a  ver) 
peculiar  fashion.  The  thick  and  tangled  locks 
were  raised  high  above  the  head,  held  there  by 
long  combs  made  of  cane ;  somewhat  after  the 
manner  of  the  grand  ladies  of  France  and  Eng- 
land a  century  ago.  The  men,  moreover,  wrapped 
their  beards  up  in  leaves  in  a  very  curious  way, 
or  enclosed  them  in  the  tubes  of  reeds.  They 
went  almost  entirely  naked;  and  Elcano  shud- 
dered when  some  of  the  chiefs,  thinking  to  per- 
form an  act  of  hospitality,  Invited  him  and  his 
companions  to  a  feast  composed  of  some  of  their 
dead  enemies. 

The  "Victoria"  remained  a  fortnight  at  this 
island,  which  was  called  Mallua,  during  which 
time  her  sides,  worn  by  the  storm,  were  carefully 
caulked.  Meanwhile  her  cargo  was  increased  by 
the  wax,  pepper,  cocoanuts,  and  fowl  which  the 
island  produced  in  great  abundance. 


266  MAGELLAN. 

She  next  passed  a  little  island,  the  people  of 
which  were  of  such  low  stature  that  the  Spaniards 
were  fain  to  call  them  dwarfs.  They  had,  more- 
over, very  long  ears ;  their  voices  were  very  shrill 
and  squeaky;  they  shaved  their  faces  closely, 
and  had  their  dwellings  underground,  in  rude 
caves.  Their  only  food  was  fish,  and  the  pith  of 
a  certain  tree. 

A  few  days  after,  the  provisions  of  the  ship 
having  become  well-nigh  exhausted,  and  the 
natives  of  the  islands  in  that  vicinity  not  prov- 
ing friendly,  Elcano  resolved  to  obtain  supplies 
by  a  trick.  A  few  Spaniards  landed  on  the 
shore  of  a  large  island  called  Timor,  and  sent 
word  to  the  chief  of  the  nearest  village  that 
they  wished  to  speak  with  him.  He  came  to 
them  very  timidly;  but  on  their  attempting  to 
make  a  bargain  with  him  for  some  pigs  and  goats, 
he  became  bolder,  and  demanded  a  high  price  for 
them.  Whereupon  the  Spaniards  seized  him, 
hurried  him  into  their  boat,  and  rowed  away 
with  him  to  the  ship.  They  threatened  him 
with  death  unless  he  would  send  to  hisvillao^e  an 
order  to  return  some  pigs  and  goats,  as  his  ran- 
som.    The  poor  chief  was  frightened  almost  out 


SAILING   TOWARDS   HOME.  267 

of  his  wits,  and  made  all  haste  to  obey  his 
captors.  In  due  time  the  pigs  and  goats  ar- 
rived, and  the  chief  was  sent  home  rejoicing,  with 
some  cloths,  hatchets,  scissors,  and  looking- 
glasses  which  Elcano  thought  it  right  to  give 
him. 

The  voyagers  had  now  reached  the  east- 
ern end  of  that  extensive  series  of  islands, 
lying  almost  in  a  straight  line  from  east  to 
west,  which  ends  in  the  long  island  of  Java, 
and  northwest  of  Java,  Sumatra.  But  now 
the  "Victoria'*  was  supplied  with  as  many 
provisions  as  she  could  hold ;  though  worn 
with  so  long  a  voyage,  she  was  still  weather- 
tight  and  water-tight ;  and  there  seemed  no 
reason  to  land  at  any  more  of  the  islands  in 
the  Archipelago. 

Elcano  therefore  kept  his  course  southward  of 
Java,  the  long  line  of  its  hilly  coast  appearing 
dimly  for  many  days  on  the  north  of  him.  He 
skirted  also  the  coast  of  Sumatra,  and  at  last 
found  himself  fairly  launched  on  the  Indian 
Ocean.  He  then  kept  his  direction  southwesterly, 
passing  many  leagues  to  the  southward  of  Ceylon, 
and  made  as  straight  a  course  as  possible  to  the 


268 


MAGELLAN, 


Cape  of  Good  Hope.  It  was  December  when 
he  left  Timor,  his  last  stopping-place  in  the 
Eastern  *seas;  his  eyes  did  not  greet  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  until  late  in  the  following 
May. 


MAGELLAN.  269 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    "  victoria"    REACHES   SPAIN. 

HE  voyage  of  the  ''Victoria"  across  the 
vast  Indian  Ocean,though  long, was  a  pros^ 
perous  one.  The  trade-winds  blew  from 
the  east,  nor  did  many  perilous  storms  compel  the 
crew  to  desperate  exertion.  No  stirring  incident 
attended  their  passage.  One  day  was  like  the 
rest ;  stiff  breezes  swelled  the  sails  ;  the  sun  shone, 
most  often,  bright  over-head  ;  the  waters,  crested 
with  foam  by  the  winds,  sparkled  beneath  its 
rays. 

But  on  reaching  the  vicinity  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  the  wind  suddenly  changed.  It  now 
blew  directly  against  them,  and  it  was  with  dififi. 
culty  that  the  "  Victoria"  could  advance,  even  so 
slowly,  along  the  African  coast  that  was  now  con- 
stantly in  sight. 

Happily,  Elcano  had    now    reached    a  region 


270  MAGELLAN. 

which  had  become  well  known.  His  charts,  and 
the  records  of  previous  voyagers,  told  him  very 
nearly  where  he  was,  and  what  course  it  was 
wisest  to  take  to  reach  his  destination.  He  was 
now,  indeed,  in  the  very  track  which,  nearly  a 
quarter  of  a  century  before,  Vasco  da  Gama  had 
traversed  for  the  first  time  in  his  memorable  voy- 
age to  India, 

So  unfavorable  had  now  become  the  weather, 
that  the  sailors  began  to  clamor  to  put  in  at 
some  African  port ;  and  when  they  came  oppo- 
site the  large  town  of  Mozambique,  which  they 
knew  to  have  been  settled  by  the  Portuguese, 
their  demands  to  seek  shelter  in  its  harbor  be- 
came very  eager.  But  Elcano  had  a  good  reason 
for  resisting  the  importunities  of  his  men.  Ma- 
gellan's expedition  had  been  undertaken  against 
the  bitter  opposition  of  the  Portuguese ;  one  of 
its  objects  was  to  secure  for  Spain  the  allegiance 
of  the  Moluccas,  which  the  Portuguese  claimed 
as  a  part  of  the  world  which  had  been  conceded 
to  them  as  a  consequence  of  their  discoveries.  If 
he  should  put  in  at  a  Portuguese  station,  he 
might  reasonably  expect  that  he  and  his  crew 
would  be  taken    prisoners,  and  the  "Victoria" 


THE       VICTORIA       REACHES    SPAIN.  2^1 

seized  and  confiscated.  He  resolved,  therefore, 
to  push  steadily  on  to  the  Cape. 

The  trials  and  hardships  of  the  crew  were  now 
very  serious.  The  good  ship,  after  so  much  voy- 
aging, had  again  become  leaky,  and  the  men 
with  difficulty  kept  her  from  filling,  by  constant 
work  at  the  pumps.  Their  provisions  were  low, 
and  they  were  reduced  to  small  daily  rations  of 
rice  and  water;  their  meat  having  decayed  for 
want  of  salt.  Many  of  the  men,  moreover,  fell 
sick,  and  some  died.  At  last  the  Cape  came  in 
sight ;  but  it  was  dangerous  to  attempt  to  round 
it.  For  some  weeks  the  "  Victoria"  was  tossed 
about  off  the  coast,  vainly  seeking  a  favorable 
opportunity  to  double  the  cape.  They  were  finally 
forced  to  make  a  circuit,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen 
miles  from  the  headlands,  in  order  to  reach  the 
western  shore  of  the  continent. 

The  ship's  course  was  thence  northwestward. 
Elcano  determined  to  keep  at  sea,  at  least  until 
the  Cape  Verde  Islands  were  reached ;  and 
the  voyage  from  the  Cape  to  these  islands 
lasted  about  two  months.  The  weather  was 
again  propitious  ;  but  the  sickness  on  board  in- 
creased, and  before  the  *'  Victoria"  came  in  sight 


272  MAGELLAN. 

of  the  Cape  Verdes,  twenty-one  men  had  perished. 

One  day  the  Cape  Verdes  appeared,  dotting 
the  summer  sea  in  the  distant  horizon.  Elcano 
for  a  while  hesitated  whether  he  should  touch  at 
them  or  not.  They  were  possessions,  like  Mo- 
zambique, of  the  Portuguese.  Would  it  be  safe 
to  trust  himself  in  their  hands?  The  misery  of 
his  crew,  however,  their  sickness  and  want  of 
food,  finally  decided  him  to  run  the  risk. 

As  the  "Victoria"  approached  Santiago,  the 
southernmost  of  the  group,  it  occurred  to  Elcano 
that  he  would  tell  the  Portuguese  that  he  had 
come  from  America,  and  that  he  had  been  driven 
out  of  his  course  by  a  terrible  tempest.  They 
would  not  then  suspect  that  he  had  really  been 
among  the  disputed  islands  of  the  East,  but  would 
be  persuaded  that  he  had  sailed  from  Spanish  set- 
tlements. This  artful  story  at  first  had  its  intended 
effect.  The  "Victoria"  entered  the  harbor,  and 
was  well  received.  Her  sick  were  taken  on  shore 
and  tended ;  and  a  boat-load  of  rice  was  sent 
on  board.  But  soon  it  appeared  that  the  Portu- 
guese began  to  suspect  the  truth,  that  the 
"Victoria"  had  really  come  around  the  Cape. 
The  second  boat  that  went  ashore  was  detained 


THE       VICTORIA       REACHES    SPAIN.  2/3 

and  the  thirteen  men  in  her  were  seized ;  at  the 
same 'time,  the  Portuguese  ships  in  the  harbor 
were  evidently  being  armed,  with  the  purpose, 
no  doubt,  of  capturing  the  "  Victoria." 

Elcano,  who  had  been  carefully  on  the  watch, 
no  sooner  saw  these  signs  of  hostility,  than,  leaving 
the  thirteen  prisoners  to  their  fate,  he  made 
haste  to  sail  away.  The  voyage  to  Spain  was 
now  happily  a  short  and  comparatively  easy  one. 
He  succeeded  in  escaping  from  the  Portuguese 
ships,  which,  when  they  saw  him  departing,  fol- 
lowed him  for  some  leagues. 

It  was  on  the  6th  day  of  September,  1522,  a 
few  days  less  than  three  years  after  she  had  set 
out,  with  her  sister-ships,  on  her  memorable 
voyage,  that  the  weather-beaten  *'  Victoria"  came 
in  sight  of  the  familiar  shores  of  Spain.  .  The 
sailors — of  whom  there  were  only  eighteen  ex- 
hausted and  half-famished  men  left  of  the  gal- 
lant company  that  had  set  out — were  full  of  joy 
at  beholding  their  native  land  once  more.  They 
fired  their  cannon,  and  hung  out  their  flags,  and 
tearfully  embraced  each  other;  and  as  the  ships 
drew  nearer  and  nearer  the  port  of  San  Lucar, 
the  very  port  from  which  they  had  sailed,  they 


2/4  MAGELLAN. 

eagerly  pointed  out  the  well-known  landmarks 
to  each  other. 

On  entering  the  bay,  they  were  greeted  by  the 
ships  and  boats  anchored  in  it ;  and  presently 
some  of  their  countrymen  came  on  board.  When 
these  learned  that  the  vessel  was  the  ''  Victoria," 
and  that  she  had  completed  the  circuit  of  the 
globe,  they  could  scarcely  believe  their  ears. 

"Why,"  they  exclaimed,  "you  were  given  up 
for  lost,  long,  long  ago !  Surely,  your  return  is  a 
wonderful  miracle !" 

The  news  of  the  arrival  of  one  of  Magellan's 
ships  was  soon  noised  through  the  town,  and 
was  quickly  carried  up  the  river  to  Seville.  The 
next  day  she  was  fairly  surrounded  by  boats, 
and  her  deck  was  crowded  with  curious  and  de- 
lighted visitors.  The  governor  of  the  district 
came  on  board,  embraced  Elcano,  and  gave 
orders  that  the  sailors,  who  were  half-dead  from 
sickness,  hunger,  and  their  many  hardships,  should 
be  taken  on  shore  and  tenderly  cared  for. 

But  no  sooner  had  they  set  foot  on  land,  than 
the  poor  fellows,  staggering  from  weakness, 
formed  into  line,  and  walked  as  well  as  they 
could  to  a  church ;    where,  kneeling  before  the 


THE       VICTORIA       REACHES    SPAIN.  275 

altar,  they  offered  up  a  thanksgiving  for  their  safe 
arrival  home.  Then  they  allowed  themselves  to 
be  carried  to  the  houses  of  the  people  and  treated 
to  the  best  the  town  afforded. 

The  day  following,  the  men  returned  to  the 
"  Victoria,"  and  she  sailed  up  the  river  to  Seville, 
and  cast  anchor  near  the  mole,  on  the  very  spot 
whence  she  had  set  sail.  The  old  city  was  full 
of  excitement  and  commotion  at  her  arrival. 
Crowds  thronged  the  quay,  and  the  mayor  and 
other  dignitaries  hastened  to  give  public  welcome 
to  the  heroic  voyagers. 

Once  more  the  cannon  of  the  "  Victoria"  awoke 
the  echoes  with  their  hoarse  voices  of  joy.  The 
brave  bunting  was  flung  to  the  breeze,  and  gay 
garlands  decked  mast  and  gunwale.  Here,  as  at 
San  Lucar,  the  wanderers'  first  thought  was  to 
render  thanks  to  God  for  their  preservation  from 
countless  perils.  The  people  of  Seville,  in  dense 
masses  along  the  pavements,  and  choking  every 
window,  saw  the  sunburnt  mariners  pass  in  pro- 
cession, in  their  shirt-sleeves,  bare-footed,  and 
each  bearing  a  taper,  to  the  ancient  and  impos- 
ing church  of  Santa  Maria  del  Antigua,  where 
they  attended  mass,  and  joined  with  all  their 


2']6  MAGELLAN. 

souls  in  the  thanksgiving  prayers  offered  up  by 
the  priests. 

Thence  they  hastened  to  the  public  square, 
where,  you  may  well  believe,  they  were  soon 
wrapt  in  the  embraces  of  parents,  wives,  children, 
and  friends.  The  tender-hearted  Sevillians  could 
not  witness,  without  tearful  emotion,  the  hag- 
gard and  hungry  features,  the  emaciated  forms, 
and  the  tottering  steps  of  the  men  who  had  gone 
out  from  their  midst  three  years  before,  ruddy 
and  stout  and  strong;  nor  was  it  less  pitiful  to 
see  the  anguish  and  hear  the  cries  of  the  poor 
widows  who  sought  in  vain,  in  the  little  group, 
for  husbands  who  had  departed  in  the  ships,  but 
whom  they  would  never  look  upon  again. 

Into  the  square  came  a  lady,  young  and  fair, 
leading  a  little  girl  two  or  three  years  old.  She 
leaned  on  the  arm  of  a  grizzled,  but  still  erect  and 
haughty  cavalier.  She  was  attired  in  deep  black, 
and  there  were  traces  of  long  mourning  on  her 
pale  cheeks;  and  now,  as  she  slowly  approached 
the  returned  crew,  she  could  not  suppress  her 
profound  emotions. 

As  if  by  instinct,  the  sailors  knew  at  once  that 
she  was  the  lady  Beatrix,  the  widow  of  their  be- 


THE       VICTORIA       REACHES    SPAIN.  2/7 

loved  Admiral,  whose  brave  soul  had  departed 
from  earth  in  the  far  eastern  seas;  that  the  little. 
girl  was  Magellan's  daughter,  whom  he  had  never 
seen ;    and  that  the  old   cavalier  who  escorted 
Beatrix  was  her  father,  Don  Diego  Barbosa. 

They  had  come,  with  sad  but  eager  hearts,  to 
welcome  back  the  comrades  of  him  they  had 
never  ceased  to  mourn  since  his  heroic  death  in 
a  distant  land. 

Throughout  Spain,  and,  indeed,  Europe,  the 
news  of  the  arrival  of  the  ''Victoria"  and  her 
successful  voyage  round  the  world,  spread  rapidly, 
and  caused  a  great  commotion.  The  king,  who, 
soon  after  the  departure  of  Magellan's  expedi- 
tion, had  become  emperor  of  Germany,  and  who, 
at  twenty-two,  had  shown  himself  one  of  the 
ablest  and  most  energetic  monarchs  in  Christen- 
dom, no  sooner  heard  that  the  *'  Victoria"  was 
safe  at  Seville,  than  he  dispatched  a  courier  to 
that  city,  inviting  Elcano  and  all  his  comrades 
to  go  and  visit  him  at  his  court  in  Valladolid. 

As  soon  as  they  could  get  ready,  therefore,  the 
voyagers  proceeded  to  Valladolid,  where  the 
Emperor  Charles  received  them  with  a  splendid 
Welcome,  in  the  midst  of  his  grandees  and  cour- 


278  MAGELLAN. 

tiers.  Elcano  told  his  sovereign  the  story  of  their 
adventures,  to  which  Charles  listened  with  breath- 
less interest ;  and  when  the  tale  was  done,  the  em- 
peror ordered  apartments  to  be  prepared  for  the 
sailors  in  the  town,  while  he  entertained  the  of- 
ficers in  the  palace  itself. 

Not  content  with  this  hospitality,  Charles  gave 
a  handsome  pension  to  each  of  the  survivors 
of  this  memorable  expedition ;  and  granted 
to  their  gallant  captain,  Elcano,  a  coat-of-arms, 
which  displayed  on  its  shield  some  gold  nutmegs 
and  cloves,  and  an  image  of  the  globe,  with  the 
motto  upon  it,  "You  were  the  first  to  circum- 
navigate me." 

One  strange  thing  happened  when  the  "  Vic- 
toria** arrived  at  Seville,  which  at  first  puzzled 
Elcano  very  much.  According  to  his  reckonings, 
which  he  had  carefully  kept  every  day  from  the 
starting  of  the  expedition,  the  date  of  his  arrival 
was  the  5th  of  September.  But  on  talking  with 
the  people  at  Seville,  he  found  that,  with  them, 
it  was  the  6th.  During  the  voyage,  therefore, 
he  had  lost  a  day.  How  could  this  have  hap- 
pened? He  knew  that  he  had  kept  his  calendar 
correctly,  and  had  never  omitted  to  score  each 


THE       VICTORIA       REACHES    SPAIN.  2/9 

twenty- four  hours;  and  yet,  undoubtedly,  it  was 
the  6th,  and  not  the  5th,  on  which  he  had  reached 
Seville. 

The  emperor  submitted  this  problem  to  a  fam- 
ous astronomer,  Contarini ;  who,  after  studying 
it,  discovered  the  clue.  He  showed  that  the  loss 
of  a  day  was  the  natural  result  of  the  voyage 
from  east  to  west,  in  which  they  kept  company 
with  the  sun;  and  that,  if  they  had  gone  the 
other  way,  from  west  to  east,  they  would  have 
gained  a  day.  This  v/as  one  of  the  most  valuable 
facts  ascertained  by  Magellan's  expedition. 

The  fate  of  the  **  Trinidad,"  which  had  been 
left  behind  at  Tidor,  remains  to  be  told.  In  due 
time,  with  the  aid  of  the  native  carpenters,  she 
was  repaired  and  made  ready  to  resume  her  voy- 
age. But  Espinosa,  fearing  lest  the  Portuguese 
in  India,  who  had  now  heard  of  the  presence  of 
the  Spaniards  in  the  Moluccas,  should  attack 
him,  resolved  to  sail,  not  westward,  in  the  track 
of  the  "Victoria,"  but  eastward  across  the  Pacific 
again,  in  the  hope  of  reaching  the  Spanish  set- 
tlement of  Panama. 

The  voyage  was  a  terrible  one.  Furious  storms 
constantly  assailed  the  devoted  ship ;  and  after 


280  MAGELLAN. 

being  tossed  many  weeks  amid  them,  the  *' Trini- 
dad" was  forced  to  return  to  the  Moluccas.  Un- 
fortunately the  Portuguese  had  now  reached 
those  islands  with  a  large  force  of  men;  and  no 
sooner  had  the  storm-beaten  "  Trinidad"  put  into 
port,  than  she  was  attacked  and  overwhelmed  by 
Portuguese  vessels  of  war.  Espinosa  and  all  his 
comrades  were  taken,  and  cast  into  prison.  There 
they  were  treated  with  such  barbaric  cruelty, 
and  were  seized  with  such  severe  distempers, 
that  one  after  another  died,  including  Espinosa 
himself ;  until  at  last  only  four  miserable  crea- 
tures, out  of  all  that  gallant  crew,  were  left.  The 
Portuguese  took  pity  on  these,  and  shipped  them 
home,  four  years  after  the  return  of  the  **  Vic- 
toria," in  one  of  their  own  ships. 

Thus  was  completed  the  famous  expedition  by 
which  the  route  to  Asia  around  South  America 
was  found  ;  which  first  traversed  the  broad  ex- 
panse of  the  Pacific,  that  received  its  name  from 
the  intrepid  commander;  which  made  the  first 
tour  of  the  entire  globe,  and  brought  to  light  the 
fact  of  the  loss  of  a  day  by  sailing  with  the  sun, 
from  east  to  west. 

Its  fame  is  most  of  all  due  to  the  heroic  and* 


THE       victoria"    REACHES    SPAIN.  281 

noble-hearted  Fernan  Magellan,  who  conceived 
the  great  idea  which  it  fulfilled  ;  who,  in  spite  of 
enormous  obstacles,  and  after  having  been  re- 
jected by  his  own  country,  succeeded  in  raising 
the  fleet  and  obtaining  its  command  ;  who  con- 
ducted it  through  many  perils  over  the  greater 
part  of  its  long  course ;  and  who,  though  he  un- 
happily died  too  soon  to  reap  the  full  reward  of 
his  achievements,  at  least  left  a  name  and  fame 
imperishable  in  the  annals  of  discovery. 


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ROOM   FOR  ONE   MORE, 

By  Mary  Thacher  Higginson. 


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HISTORIES    FOR    LITTLE    FOLKS, 


No.    1. 

THE  STORY  OF 

OUE  COUITTKY. 

BY    MRS.    LEWIS    B.    MONROE. 

x6mo.    Cloth.    Illustrated.    $i.oo. 

Told  by  a  mother  to  her  children  in  simple  language  all  can  understand,  beginning 
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or  for  children  ta  study  at  school. 


No.  2. 

A  GRANDFATHER'S  STORIES 

ABOUT 

AMERICAN   HISTORY. 

BY    N.   S.    DODGE. 


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A  NEW  SERIES  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE. 

Heroes  of  History. 

By  GEORGE  M.  TOWLE. 

The  aim  of  this  series  is  to  relate  the  discoveries,  adventures,  dangers 
and  triumphs  of  the  "  Hero"  who  forms  the  subject  of  the  volume,  and 
to  attract  and  hold  the  attention  of  young  readers  from  beginning  to 
end  ;  giving  the  true  stories  of  those  famous  voyagers  and  discoverers, 
whose  names  are  not  unfamiliar  to  young  people,  but  whose  deeds  and 
adventures  are  not  so  well  known.  Thus,  while  the  young  reader  is 
intensely  absorbed  in  the  romantic  tale,  he  will  be  learning  important 
and  truthful  events  of  history.     Each  volume  complete  in  itself. 

asro.   1. 

YASCO   DA  GAMA: 

His  Voyages  and  Adventures.    By  George  M.  Towle.    i6mo, 

Illustrated.  ^1.25. 
*'  It  will  be  remembered  that  Da  Gama  was  in  his  day  more  famous  than  Columbus, 
pud  that  he  discovered  the  way  to  India  around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  His  life  was 
brimful!  of  adventure,  and  the  book  will  be  of  great  interest  to  the  young  for  whom  it 
is  especially  prepared,  yet  not  the  less  interesting  to  older  people  who  love  history,  and 
the  deeds  of  brave  men  when  the  earth  was  much  younger  than  at  present.  It  is 
illustrated  and  well  printed."  —  Taunton  Gazette. 

a^o.  2. 

PIZ  AERO : 

His   Adventures   and   Conquests.      By   George   M.    Towle. 
i6mo,  handsomely  illustrated.    $1.25. 

"  The  exciting  career  of  this  great  Spanish  captain  is  familiar  to  all;  but  previous 
authors  have  generally  failed  to  clothe  the  story  with  that  easy,  familiar  style  so  attrac- 
tive to  the  young.  Mr.  Towle  has  succeeded  in  striking  the  happy  medium  between 
dry  details  and  romantic  exuberance  in  his  '  Pizarro.'  His  story  opens  with  a  graphic 
picture  of  the  young  Pizarro's  boy-life ;  and  the  author  carries  the  reader  on  step  by 
step,  with  the  career  of  the  adventurous  youth,  until  the  conquest  of  Peru  is  com- 
pleted." —  New  Havtn  Register. 

asro-  3. 

MAGELLAN: 

The  First  Voyager  around  the  World.  Uniform  with  "  Vasco 
da  Gama"  and  "  Pizarro."  I1.25. 
This  new  series  is  recommended  to  the  attention  of  teachers  and 
guardians  of  youth,  as  a  further  step  in  the  direction  of  combined  in- 
struction and  entertainment  so  successfully  inaugurated  by  the  pub- 
lication of  Higginson's  "  Young  Folks'  History  of  the  United  States," 
and  "  Young  Folks'  Book  of  American  Explorers." 

Sold  by  all  Booksellers  and  Newsdealers,  and  sent  bj  mail,  postpaid 
on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  &.  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 

C.  T.  DILLINGHAM,  New  York. 


-^^Z  /  V  / 


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